Air Force nursing FQ FY 2018

ORNURSE87 · Oct 18, 2017

Hey there I applied for the job you board with 1 year of operating room experience, and them telling me how badly they needed operating room nurses, I was denied, my recruiter says probably from lack of experience. I hope it's different for you, there were a ton of people selected this time around, don't let it get your hopes up, I was just very surprised I didn't get in. I wish you the best of luck, and don't give up, that's how I'm handling it!

legendaryfrank · Oct 18, 2017

Hey there I applied for the job you board with 1 year of operating room experience, and them telling me how badly they needed operating room nurses, I was denied, my recruiter says probably from lack of experience. I hope it's different for you, there were a ton of people selected this time around, don't let it get your hopes up, I was just very surprised I didn't get in. I wish you the best of luck, and don't give up, that's how I'm handling it!

so sorry to hear. are you going to try for another round? how did your packet look?

Chinitah1115 · Oct 19, 2017

I was wondering how many letters of recommendation your recruiter asked you guys to turn in... in the past I've heard 3-5. I have 5 amazing LOR and I would like my recruiter to turn them in but he's denying me. I just want to hear what your recruiters have told you guys

legendaryfrank · Oct 19, 2017

I had Three Letters of Reccomendation + a current evaluation from my work place. he took them without a problem. however they need to have some sort of official letterhead

Chinitah1115 · Oct 19, 2017

Yes, all the LORs are on official letterheads. I have 1 LOR from current manager, 2 from Majors I've worked with as DOD civilian and 2 from my BSN mentors. I would like to turn in at least 4 (epecially the 2 LOR from MAJ) but I don't know if they've changed the criteria this year. I feel like my recruiter is not giving me as much information as I've read on these forums so I'm just disapointed

w8nnn · Oct 19, 2017

Ask him what type of LOR he wants to see. Because if you meet all the requirements i.e., letter head of LOR, signed and dated, and etc. he shouldn't be denying it. I had total of 5 LOR. 1 coworker, 1 manager, 1 educator, 1 friend, and 1 preceptor.

Chinitah1115 · Oct 19, 2017

Thank you, I really appreciate it. I will ask him to see the checklist as well because I want to make sure that I have all the items to be fully qualified to the best of my ability. From what I've been reading from these forums, there are only limited slots available for specialty.

gilversplace · Oct 23, 2017

Any information which airforce hospitals or facilities have ICU or ER units? thanks

jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA · Oct 23, 2017

First, there are about 8 or 9 bases with ICUs and ERs and a couple more that have just ERs. Travis (Sacramento), Wright Patterson (Dayton, OH), Eglin (Destin, FL), Langley (D.C.), Keelser (Biloxi, MS), Elemendorf (Anchorage), SAMMC (San Antonio), Nellis (Las Vegas), and Lankenheath (England) all have both. SAMMC is the only level 1 trauma center. Travis and Keesler are also fairly big. The rest are pretty small community hospitals with glorified urgent cares and step-down units that simply call themselves ICUs and ERs. Moonlighting is unfortunately the name of the game to keep your skills up when you aren't deployed.

You have to be an ER or ICU nurse with at least one year of full time experience to start as an ICU or ER nurse in the Air Force. You can't just get on the job training after a while on the med surg floor like in the civilian sector. Without prior ICU or ER experience, you have to apply to a 1 year fellowship after 2 years at your first base.

ORNURSE87 · Oct 23, 2017

so sorry to hear. are you going to try for another round? how did your packet look?

I am not giving up that's for sure, just unfortunate you have to wait a year between applying. Recruiter told me it was lack of experience, everything else was fantastic. I'll have two years operating room experience next June. So that should get me in.

ashixes · Oct 24, 2017

Got a call saying I was selected for ER but that they didn't know a COT date or base assignment yet. Has anyone else had this? This is also a new recruiter to me, he replaced my old one recently. My last recruiter said there was no ER bonus but this one said there is a bonus if you do 4 years.

kleighborne · Oct 24, 2017

I was wondering how many letters of recommendation your recruiter asked you guys to turn in... in the past I've heard 3-5. I have 5 amazing LOR and I would like my recruiter to turn them in but he's denying me. I just want to hear what your recruiters have told you guys

I was told up to 10 letters of recommendation could be submitted. I had 6. Unless something has changed in the last few months, you should be allowed to submit 5 with no problem.