Air Force educational programs

Spencer2002 · Oct 17, 2009

i'm not sure if you get leadership roles from time in service, rank, or education? i guess if you out rank everyone, you’re in charge.

the chief of nursing i interviewed with went that route. i’m not even sure if she has floor experience? she went from school right into a nursing management track. i was encouraged to look at becoming a np in the future.

DrCOVID, DNP · Oct 17, 2009

i'm not sure if you get leadership roles from time in service, rank, or education? i guess if you out rank everyone, you’re in charge.
the chief of nursing i interviewed with went that route. i’m not even sure if she has floor experience? she went from school right into a nursing management track. i was encouraged to look at becoming a np in the future.

the cn i interviewed with encouraged management as well as np/crna. obviously if you are a cn you have chosen to lead rather than follow!

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Oct 18, 2009

What makes a stellar officer isn't just the ability to lead - it is especially defined by the ability to follow. A little food for thought as I sit here in the Atlanta Sheraton, soaking up some final civilian moments before crossing back into the blue on Monday.

Now back to the regularly scheduled thread. :)

The Little Greek · Oct 19, 2009

PI was wondering if anyone knows how long it takes to enter the "Nursing Service Fundamentals." After this is complete, one can then pursue "Nursing Service Management" education. I am leaving open for consideration management training in the AF. Do these courses prepare the nurse managers/chief nurses of the Air Force? How long does it take to find yourself in one or both of these courses, and are you automatically a nurse manager when you finish?

I will be attending the NSM course within the next 6 months. I never attended the NSF class so it must not be a prerequisite. Here is some information I hope you will find helpful:

-Open to NC officers in rank of 1Lt to 1Lt Maj

-Course is taught at Sheppard and is 17 days long.

-Course overview as follows:

Block 1

1. Marketing health care services

2. Leadership

3. Prob-solving

4. Change

5. Organizational structure

6. Team building

7. Strategic, operational, and tactical planning

8. Staffing effectiveness

Block 2

1. Evidence-basde practice

2. Performance management

3. Retention

4. Resource management

5. Expeditionary operations

6. Health care optimization

Block 3

1. NCOIC collaborative relationship

2. Biomedical ethics

3. Impaired & incompetent HC professionals and unprofessional conduct

4. Counseling

5. Operating instuctions

6. Job descriptions

7. Job Descriptions

8. Performace evaluations

9. Recognition

10. Staff competency

11. Time management

To answer your question "are you automatically a nurse manager when you finish?" the answer is no. I will not be a nurse manager when I finish and I imagine it will be several years before that happens.

allnurses Guide · Oct 19, 2009

Here is my take on NSF and NSM, if you are thinking of going into the management/executive, CNS, or even FNP/PNP tracks in the AF try to goto at least the NSM course. It looks good on your CV to have gone to NSM. Now if you are shooting for nurse anesthesia (possible ACNP also) you should spend your time trying to goto C4/TNCC, ACLS, NRP, PALS, and you should try to become an instructor in at least one of these. You should also get and maintain your CCRN and possibly your CEN. When you are looking at AFIT spots & promotion potential beyond Captain you have to ask yourself what makes me stand out against Joe/Jill nurse that I work with everyday.

DrCOVID, DNP · Oct 19, 2009

thanks for the responses! just want to make sure i have these acronyms straight:

cv - curriculum vitae?

c4 - combat casualty care course?

tncc -trauma nursing core course?

acls - advanced cardiac life support

nrp - neonatal resuscitation?

pals - pediatric life support?

ccrn - critical care registered nurse

cne -certified nurse educator? -must have masters degree to complete

you don't have to wait/have experience to obtain any of these right? are they attainable through the af, or will have to seek out independent agencies for each? also, what is the "nc" before officer? i didn't know there was a lt. major in the af or is that a typo? :uhoh3:

allnurses Guide · Oct 19, 2009

thanks for the responses! just want to make sure i have these acronyms straight:
cv - curriculum vitae?
c4 - combat casualty care course?
tncc -trauma nursing core course?
acls - advanced cardiac life support
nrp - neonatal resuscitation?
pals - pediatric life support?
ccrn - critical care registered nurse
cne -certified nurse educator? -must have masters degree to complete
you don't have to wait/have experience to obtain any of these right? are they attainable through the af, or will have to seek out independent agencies for each? also, what is the "nc" before officer? i didn't know there was a lt. major in the af or is that a typo?

ccrn actually doesn't stand for anything...lol. it is your certification for critical care nursing but is just a trademark set of initials..

cen is you certification in emergency nursing

your ccrn/cen you will have to get on your own, but the af should reimburse you for the cost of the test. all the other ones the af should pay for and except for c4 should be available on base.

rghbsn, BSN, RN · Oct 19, 2009

thanks for the responses! just want to make sure i have these acronyms straight:
cv - curriculum vitae?
c4 - combat casualty care course?
tncc -trauma nursing core course?
acls - advanced cardiac life support
nrp - neonatal resuscitation?
pals - pediatric life support?
ccrn - critical care registered nurse
that's not really what it stands for, but it's the accepted translation...even aacn doesn't really define it well. to get this certification you have to have over 1000 hours (don't remember the exact number) of direct bedside care in a critical care unit before you can even take the test. it's usually about 1.5 years worth of time.
cne -certified nurse educator? -must have masters degree to complete
the acronym used was cen, which is certified emergency nurse, about on par with the ccrn...just for emergency nurses.
you don't have to wait/have experience to obtain any of these right? are they attainable through the af, or will have to seek out independent agencies for each? most of these are just classes or tests. i'm sure most are available through the usaf. ccrn and cen are tests you take on your own...computerized like the nclex, but with results immediately.also, what is the "nc" before officer? nurse corps. i didn't know there was a lt. major in the af or is that a typo? pretty sure that's a typo...

hope that helps! replies in red...

DrCOVID, DNP · Oct 20, 2009

Awesome, thanks guys. Yea accidentally flubbed up the CEN vs CNE and couldn't edit the post!

The Little Greek · Oct 20, 2009

Yep, that's a typo. Missed my window of editing time so I can't fix it. Should read Lt General.