Air Force Nursing Corps

Specialties Government

Published

Hello,

I'm Sergeant Josh Hopper and I work with the Air Force Nursing Corps for Ohio and Indiana. If any of you have ever had any questions feel free to post them. One question I get alot is about our MSN scholarships. We pay 100% of school for you to become an CRNA, Mid Wife, or most Practitioners. You continue to recieve your full time pay check while going to school. If you have more questions about this or any other Air Force Nurse Corps Questions feel free to ask.

Thanks,

Josh

Hi, I am a CNA and was seeing what I needed to join and become a nurse. I am really interested in becoming a nurse in the Air Force?

Hello Sgt. Hopper,

I am currently a registered nurse with 12 years of experience, mostly in ICU; I currently work as a flight nurse. I am very interested in going to CRNA school and I would love for the USAF to pay my way. How would this work? Would I go to the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences/ Military Nurse Anesthesia Program, in Maryland...and then have to repay my time?

Tuz

I am sure others can help you but when it comes to Sgt Hopper, he hasn't reply here in months! Don't hold your breath nurse :-)

DM, RN

Sgt Hopper,

I have an associate degree in nursing with 5 years experience. I want more out of my nursing career and am highly interested in joining the Air Force. A few years ago there was an option for 2 year nurses but I can't find information on that anymore. I am guessing it is gone. Is there an option to sign on as an associate with the agreement that I will then complete schooling or do I have to go enlisted and do night school or bide my time until I've earned the right to then go to school? My thought is that, if I could sign up and get the tuition assistance, then I could greatly reduce my working hours and get my BSN knocked out. I've tried to get ahold of my local Air Force recruiter but he is never in the office and has yet to return my call. I'm really looking for some answers. Thank you.

Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

Speaking as someone who just finished going through the application process this past year for the air force, I can tell you that they only take BSNs. The healthcare recruiters cover large regions, and they may ignore applicants who aren't eligible to apply. There are too many qualified applicants for a small number of spots. I have heard of associates degree nurses joining the reserves, if they are currently in a BSN program.

Is there a smooth way to transition from an enlisted job to the nurse corps? I am thinking about joining the air force reserve as a 4N (medic) and going to school to get my bachelor's therein. I would have 4 years left of service after I get my bachelor's and was wondering if I could transition into the nurse corps afterwards.

Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

Do not do that! If you want to be a military nurse any time soon, it's much faster to go to school on loans and apply for loan repayment after the fact. These days, with the force shaping and force reduction boards, you will likely be stuck as an enlisted medic until your enlistment is complete. They aren't interested in growing the nurse corps very much right now, and those enlisted commissioning programs are hard to get into.

You may be able to take classes online while enlisted for free, but I find it unlikely that you will be able to complete many of the nursing clinicals on your off-duty/pass time.

Specializes in ICU.

I am about 13 months from finishing a CCNE accredited BSN program. Interested in any comparisons former or current AF nurses can offer between civilian and AF nursing. I have prior healthcare experience in a hospital setting as a tech and orderly, having worked on ER, tele, med/surg units, so I have a pretty good idea of what civilian nursing can be like.

Also, is past RN experience required to be a competitive applicant? How about GPA?

Spoke with a Specialist with Army Nursing via email, and was informed that 2 years minimum RN experience is strictly required. Hoping the AF hasn't implemented this too.

Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

People with 3.5 would make you competitive. Grades aren't the only thing they consider; the app has 9 short essays and 3-5 recommendation letters. Enlisted time helps. ACLS, NIHSS, PALS, TNCC would help if you could get those before you graduate. You need 6-7mo of prep time to apply effectively.

I haven't been in long enough to give you a good read on the difference. The being a staff/floor nurse in the hospital part is similar, but I haven't deployed yet. You make more money, but you work 20-25% more (especially once you make O3 in 4 years). There is also no salary compression in the military like there is in the civilian world; I remember in my last civilian job nurses who had been around for 20 years were only making a few dollars an hour more than me

Specializes in ICU, ER, OR.

I am a current USAF RN. You really need to talk to a recruiter who does health care fields. You can come in as a 2nd Lt with your BSN and no experience. You would attend Commisioned Officer Training for 5 weeks in Alabama then go to a 12 week Nurse Transition Program in Texas. All this information is on the Air Force website. The application is process is extremely competitive. You will need a high GPA, excellent references, and you will have to interview as well. Your application goes before a nursing board. The application process takes a lot of time. If you contact a USAF health fields recruiter they can let you know what you need for an application. I got in touch with my recruiter through the USAF website. I was a civilian nurse for 5 yrs prior to joining the USAF Nurse Corps and I love it. It was the best career decision I ever made.

What would the process be like for a new nurse who joined the air force nurse corps and wanted to pursue a masters or dNP

Specializes in ICU.
I am a current USAF RN. You really need to talk to a recruiter who does health care fields. You can come in as a 2nd Lt with your BSN and no experience. You would attend Commisioned Officer Training for 5 weeks in Alabama then go to a 12 week Nurse Transition Program in Texas. All this information is on the Air Force website. The application is process is extremely competitive. You will need a high GPA, excellent references, and you will have to interview as well. Your application goes before a nursing board. The application process takes a lot of time. If you contact a USAF health fields recruiter they can let you know what you need for an application. I got in touch with my recruiter through the USAF website. I was a civilian nurse for 5 yrs prior to joining the USAF Nurse Corps and I love it. It was the best career decision I ever made.

Thanks for your input. I spoke with a healthcare recruiter via a chat window from the AF website and was informed that for new grads, a 3.4 GPA is required. Once you have 1 year of RN experience, a 3.0 GPA is sufficient to apply. I tried asking what amount of experience and GPA would make for a competitive applicant who actually had a good chance of being commissioned, and was told that they didn't have that information. But I was provided with contact information for another healthcare recruiter, so I am hoping I will be able to get a better idea of my chances.

That's great to hear you're pleased with joining the AF. If you don't mind, I would like to hear more about how it's different from civilian nursing.

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