Air Force COT May 2016

Specialties Government

Published

Hi all please post if you are attending Air Force COT in May 2016! I am selected as Flight Nurse and my duty station will be Scott AFB. :)

Thanks for sharing, How often and how long did you deploy? How was your experience?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Medicine.
Thanks for sharing, How often and how long did you deploy? How was your experience?

That is a loaded question-

I deployed once for seven months- I would have deployed an additional two times but could not bc I had to take oral chemo for a blood disorder. I love deployment- best experience I've ever had and will forever chase the feeling it gave me as a nurse.

As far as my other experiences, it's all about what you make of it; eventually for me however, the bad outweighed the good.

Your life is no longer your life. You will do what the AF needs when the AF needs it regardless of what you want. When I got out I had 80 days of unused leave bc I was never able to take it, my area was critically low manned due to constant deployments- ER nursing. ICU is very similar bc it is a privilege to be one of those nurses and they expect a lot from you if selected for these positions.

You are an officer first, a nurse second, remember that. You may not know what that means now but you will the second you start training.

If you have a family, the needs of th AF come first. If you have a baby, you are fair game six WEEKS after birth, regardless of breast feeding or not. Which brings me to my next point- the relationships and friendships you develop in the military are relationships you will have for life. I've seen it happen numerous times where a nurse, man or woman, has volunteered to take a deployment slot so that new parent did not have to go.

Hope that helps answer some questions- would I do it over again? Yes, but I'd be much more prepared and expect much less.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thank you for such an honest reply. I am going in as Med-Surg with 1.5yrs of experience with my first assignment at Nellis. I am getting pretty tired of Med Surg (although my unit is strictly surgical) and want to progress to ED or ICU (ICU mainly)... How likely is it that I'd be able to do this fairly quick?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

Speaking as a current AF med surg nurse, it's very slow changing your specialty. You need to get ICU or ER experience before joining (generally at least a year of full-time). The AF requires a 1 year-long training program for new ER and ICU nurses; you can't apply for that program unless you have 2 years time on station.

Bottom line: Don't join the AF in a specialty you already don't like.

Having said that, know that the AF groups med-surg, PACU, and clinic nursing under the 'clinical nursing' banner. The AF can put you in any of those areas if you join with med-surg experience.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Medicine.
Thank you for such an honest reply. I am going in as Med-Surg with 1.5yrs of experience with my first assignment at Nellis. I am getting pretty tired of Med Surg (although my unit is strictly surgical) and want to progress to ED or ICU (ICU mainly)... How likely is it that I'd be able to do this fairly quick?

Like previous poster stated, the AF requires a year long fellowship for ED or ICU and you MUST complete two years before even being considered- it's very competitive. I agree again with PP- I would not go into the AF with a job you can't tolerate. As a 46N you are a general nurse and can work on med surg, in a clinic, or pacu. Nellis is a great assignment- it's the base of the Thunderbirds.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Speaking as a current AF med surg nurse, it's very slow changing your specialty. You need to get ICU or ER experience before joining (generally at least a year of full-time). The AF requires a 1 year-long training program for new ER and ICU nurses; you can't apply for that program unless you have 2 years time on station.

Bottom line: Don't join the AF in a specialty you already don't like.

Having said that, know that the AF groups med-surg, PACU, and clinic nursing under the 'clinical nursing' banner. The AF can put you in any of those areas if you join with med-surg experience.

Like previous poster stated, the AF requires a year long fellowship for ED or ICU and you MUST complete two years before even being considered- it's very competitive. I agree again with PP- I would not go into the AF with a job you can't tolerate. As a 46N you are a general nurse and can work on med surg, in a clinic, or pacu. Nellis is a great assignment- it's the base of the Thunderbirds.

Thanks for the kind replies. Darn, was totally not what I was hoping for. I am selected to go to COT in May of this year. It's not that I can't tolerate Med-Surg, I am just ready to move to ED/ICU and learn more, see more, do more, etc. If I have to do it for two years and then apply, well, I guess that's the road i'll have to take. Right now my unit strictly takes surgical patients, so who knows maybe a little more medical stuff (2 years worth) might be good for me... and PACU would be pretty cool as well.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Everyone seems so knowledgeable in this group! I have just made contact with my recruiter and have my first meeting scheduled next week. I am an ER nurse (CEN) with 7 years of experience and I am completing my MSN in May. I am hoping that is enough to get me accepted! Does anyone know when the next selection boards are? I want to make sure I am on top of things and don't miss the next deadline.

How long did it take most of you from the time you submitted your paperwork to getting notified of your acceptance and COT date? It seems like such a long process which is hard when you are anxious to get going! Any information anyone has would be helpful! Thank you and good luck to those of you heading away this summer

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Everyone seems so knowledgeable in this group! I have just made contact with my recruiter and have my first meeting scheduled next week. I am an ER nurse (CEN) with 7 years of experience and I am completing my MSN in May. I am hoping that is enough to get me accepted! Does anyone know when the next selection boards are? I want to make sure I am on top of things and don't miss the next deadline.

How long did it take most of you from the time you submitted your paperwork to getting notified of your acceptance and COT date? It seems like such a long process which is hard when you are anxious to get going! Any information anyone has would be helpful! Thank you and good luck to those of you heading away this summer

While I can't recall the other board selection date for fully qualified nurses (there are 2 per year), mine was in October so I would imagine ~6 months from then.

How long it takes to submit your paperwork to getting an acceptance is a very, very complicated question. At least for me it was. I guess it really all depends on your health, history, and how persistent your recruiter is. Where are you located? Maybe someone is nearby and has the same recruiter, for instance, there is only one for most of Michigan/Ohio/and I think some of Illinois/Indiana?. My recruiter also worked with someone from I think Virginia.

I broke my elbow at age 21 (I am 26 now) and had wires inserted, which remained in for convenience. Out of nursing school, I applied for a NTP position which took ~6 months, and missed the application deadline because my elbow had to be approved by the Surgeon General of the AF. Fast forward to a year later, it was approved but took ~2 months to get my wavier, now I am commissioning as fully qualified. So for me, it will have been about 2 years since I graduated for me to get a spot.

I'm sure others have done it in way less time, but, if you have any disqualifiers and require a wavier, get started ASAP.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I will be attending COT in May 2016 as well. Congratulation to everyone who has made it. I was reading some of the comments and was wondering if a Facebook group ever got created?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, Trauma.
I will be attending COT in May 2016 as well. Congratulation to everyone who has made it. I was reading some of the comments and was wondering if a Facebook group ever got created?

Search AFB COT 5-16

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hi there are you going to COT this month?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Are you leaving for COT?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment