Air Force Nursing - Commissioning

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Does Air Force Require BSN, RN Experience For Commission?

Hi All. I graduate with my ASN in April 2023. I have 5 yrs active duty. 4 yrs Reserve.  Am I required to have experience as a BSN Nurse to commission or is it possible to commission right when I get my BSN? Do clinical nurses wear scrubs or OCPs? I currently work in the PCU as a tech. Would the AF want me to have Med surg experience as a nurse? or could I stay in the PCU after I graduate? Is there tech school after COT? Are there usually occasions where you have to come in on your days off to attend meetings/commanders calls/or things of that nature? The AF website doesn't give very good information. Thank you!!

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

You need a BSN to be a nurse in Air Force.  You don't need experience as a BSN/RN.  All experience as an RN full in an acute, hospital setting (med-surg, step down, progressive care, ICU, ER) counts.  You just need the BSN before you can start.  Contact a recruiter when you're enrolled in the ASN to BSN bridge program.

They do take new grads as well as experienced nurses.   You'd be experienced by the time you join.  It takes about a year from the time you contact a recruiter till the time you start officer basic training.  

It's pretty much like any nursing job, except you work on base hospitals and have the potential to deploy for natural disasters or conflict.  You wear scrubs and you take care of patients like any nurse.  The military part involves extra training, PT tests, shooting a gun, drug tests etc.  You are salaried and get paid the same regardless of hours; you generally work 40-48hrs per week.  Yes, you have meetings and training requirements on top of patient care.

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Thank you so much! 
one more question please. My last duty station had a clinic. Not necessarily a hospital. Do nurses work in that setting or just NPs ? I’m assuming if nurses do not work in that setting, then there is only a hand full of places they can be stationed at right ???? 

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

There are RNs at most Air Force bases.  On bases with a small outpatient clinic, the RN is typically doing TCONs (telephone consults) for primary care and prescription refills.  TCONs are essentially like the nurse advice line your health insurance company might have.

There are subspecialty identifiers for RNs in the Air Force for ICU, ER, OB, OR, NICU, and psych.  To get one, you need 1 year of civilian RN experience in that specialty.  Nurses with a subspecialty can only be stationed at a very small number of bases.

 Med-surg, step-down, progressive care, clinic nursing, and PACU fall under the unspecialized 'clinical nurse' designator. If you are in one of those jobs you can't do ICU, ER, OR, etc.  

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JFratain thank you so much. You have no idea how much you helped!! Now I can sleep on the options. 

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Specializes in ED. ICU, PICU, infection prevention, aeromedical e.

After OTC (no longer COT), there is Nirse Transition Program (NTP) for nurses with under 1 year experience.  It’s an excellent program and sets you up for success in the AF!  It’s TDY before your first duty station, San Antonio and Travis are often ones that you’d stay at.  Most nurse go to an inpatient unit to gain experience. Don’t expect a clinic.

 

(the hours were a shock to me at first, which is why I’m putting what I consider worse case scenario.  )
hours - expect 3 12 hours sifts one week then 4 the next. Yes, there are often extra meetings and trainings that you’ll have to attend in addition to these hours.  You will also flip every 3 Mo this from days to nights.  You will have some random extra duty at some point - try to get involved in what interests you rather than getting something you don’t like.

 

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Did you go through NTP? So the new nurses most likely get stationed in San Antonio or Travis after that?? 

Also so the nurses with no experience usually are in med surg right? Is it likely to get into a specialty like the ED or OB a couple years later?

Thank you!

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

NTP is a ~4 month TDY and not a permanent assignment.  You go to your actual base afterwards. NTP is similar to the initial training med techs (4Ns) get after they finish basic. It's for new grads and teaches you how to be a nurse.  You'll be exempted from it if you join with RN experience (which it sounds like you will given your timeline).  NTP is offered at several locations, including at civilian hospitals (Tampa General, FL and Honor Health, AZ). 

After NTP, new nurses typically do med-surg at one of about 8 bases (Travis, Elmendorf, San Antonio, Keesler, Eglin, Wright Patt, and Langley).  Again, since you'll have a year of experience, I'd recommend you only apply for new grad civilian jobs in specialties you are interesting in working in the Air Force (ICU, OB, ER, etc).  Then, the Air Force will let you start in your specialty of choice when you graduate (with 1 year minimum experience).

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On 11/3/2022 at 2:57 PM, Daphney said:

Does Air Force Require BSN, RN Experience For Commission?

Hi All. I graduate with my ASN in April 2023. I have 5 yrs active duty. 4 yrs Reserve.  Am I required to have experience as a BSN Nurse to commission or is it possible to commission right when I get my BSN? Do clinical nurses wear scrubs or OCPs? I currently work in the PCU as a tech. Would the AF want me to have Med surg experience as a nurse? or could I stay in the PCU after I graduate? Is there tech school after COT? Are there usually occasions where you have to come in on your days off to attend meetings/commanders calls/or things of that nature? The AF website doesn't give very good information. Thank you!!

QUESTION: If you graduate with your ASN in 2023, how is it you have appended ASN after your site handle already?

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