Air Force nursing FY2021

[tabmeechie]

Hello all,

I have looked all over this site in hopes of finding others that are getting their packets ready and are applying to the Air Force this fall. I have not found any recent threads on this.

I am applying for an ER spot. I have been a RN for 7 years and work in a Level II trauma emergency center. I have my MSN-Administrative Leadership and TCRN. Is there anyone out there that is also getting their packets ready for October boards? My recruiter told me that because of COVID everything has been pushed back and that boards will meet in October this year. He also told me that I would be going to MEPS and doing my medical in the next 3 weeks.

[Sarm19, BSN, RN]

9 minutes ago, lnm601 said:

No quarantining for me, just coordinating my move to Alaska from St Louis which might just happen at the last minute. And I live alone so no one really here to help once I leave for OTS, might be making one of my friends my POA LOL. 
 

I will let you know if I figure it out with the certificates! I'm just now setting up my login for the precourse stuff. 

Oh ya I just saw that! Watch the set up video! I was SO confused why mine wasn’t working and why accessing the courses was so difficult until I watched that, a lot to do with settings and inputting information. Yikes!...I am lucky I can leave my husband to deal with the house, cars, baby, and animals LOL?. I just hope if I am going stateside, I can get a CDC spot and they can get moved quickly so I don’t have to be apart from my baby even longer. Are you going to drive? Shipping a car can take some time. Our last PCS I drove up solo from southern Spain to England about a 10 hour drive, 24 hour ferry, and another couple hours drive. It was crazy with the language barrier,  I was pregnant, and had my large dog and cat- my husband was TDY in the states- but once we arrived it was really nice to have a car right away. I forget how long it took for my husband to get his car last time, I think around 2 months or more but it was from the US to Spain. Not sure how long they take to get it to Alaska.

[Sarm19, BSN, RN]

Also, I see we are required to have black mechanics gloves! Just ordered mine, hopefully they arrive in time LOL.

[lnm601, BSN, RN]

5 minutes ago, Sarm19 said:

Oh ya I just saw that! Watch the set up video! I was SO confused why mine wasn’t working and why accessing the courses was so difficult until I watched that, a lot to do with settings and inputting information. Yikes!...I am lucky I can leave my husband to deal with the house, cars, baby, and animals LOL?. I just hope if I am going stateside, I can get a CDC spot and they can get moved quickly so I don’t have to be apart from my baby even longer. Are you going to drive? Shipping a car can take some time. Our last PCS I drove up solo from southern Spain to England about a 10 hour drive, 24 hour ferry, and another couple hours drive. It was crazy with the language barrier,  I was pregnant, and had my large dog and cat- my husband was TDY in the states- but once we arrived it was really nice to have a car right away. I forget how long it took for my husband to get his car last time, I think around 2 months or more but it was from the US to Spain. Not sure how long they take to get it to Alaska.

I hope you don't have to be away from your baby for too long! thank goodness for your husband, LOL. and oh my goodness, that's insane! I was intending to ship my car, they don't recommend driving across rural Canada alone in the Winter LOL. So if I have to rent a car or something when I get there I guess I will! Not sure what a time estimate will be. Just hoping for those dang orders soon so I can start figuring some of that stuff out!

[Sarm19, BSN, RN]

That’s very true! Hopefully if you can ship it before OTS, it could be ready for pick up after graduation! Amen to that! I’m getting antsy to book my hotel and flights and handle everything else!

[Kt2k, MSN]

@aferg002 If you are ER make sure you distinguish ER/Trauma versus critical care! 46N3J versus 46N3E. If you are going for ER you will also have 2 interview versus just one.  You will have a clinical one and then one with a chief nurse.

[KateRN2019]

1 hour ago, lnm601 said:

No quarantining for me, just coordinating my move to Alaska from St Louis which might just happen at the last minute. And I live alone so no one really here to help once I leave for OTS, might be making one of my friends my POA LOL. 
 

I will let you know if I figure it out with the certificates! I'm just now setting up my login for the precourse stuff. 

Good Luck on your move! Alaska is a great state and full of outdoor activities. Right now covid cases are high and pretty much alot of things are closed and resturants are only take out for December. Had my clinicals at Jber as a nursing student and loved every moment of it. Let me know if you have any questions about Alaska in general been here since 2002.

[aferg002, BSN, EMT-P]

49 minutes ago, Kt2k said:

@aferg002 If you are ER make sure you distinguish ER/Trauma versus critical care! 46N3J versus 46N3E. If you are going for ER you will also have 2 interview versus just one.  You will have a clinical one and then one with a chief nurse.

Youre right, my AFSC is a 46N3J (ER/Trauma). I was told I was going to have a chief nurse interview, then a consultant interview, and then the boards. But Im still waiting on word of getting just one interview at all. It's been already over a month now. But thank you for the info. 

[Kt2k, MSN]

OK good! I did not have good experiences with recruiters, I'm sorry you're in the same boat. I had my two interviews in the same week, literally a couple of days before my application was due for the October boards! The clinical interview was rigorous, which I was not expecting, but the interviewer was charismatic and actually answered a lot of questions about AF ER Nursing for me, which was helpful. He also even stated in the text he sent that my recruiter waited until last minute to set up the interview. I would just check in with your recruiter weekly at the least. I got over my fear of being annoying more out of fear of missing the opportunity! 

[Sarm19, BSN, RN]

@Kt2k I ended up having my chief nurse interview a week before my package was due and I was very proactive asking my recruiter about scheduling it. He was having difficulty due to COVID and people PCSing. I somehow ended up scheduling it myself by emailing the col directly regarding and letting my recruiter know. I was unaware there was another ER consultant interview needed until my recruiter messaged me one night to reach out to schedule it. I WhatsApp’d the ER consultant to schedule and he called me 5 minutes later.

[aferg002, BSN, EMT-P]

3 minutes ago, Kt2k said:

OK good! I did not have good experiences with recruiters, I'm sorry you're in the same boat. I had my two interviews in the same week, literally a couple of days before my application was due for the October boards! The clinical interview was rigorous, which I was not expecting, but the interviewer was charismatic and actually answered a lot of questions about AF ER Nursing for me, which was helpful. He also even stated in the text he sent that my recruiter waited until last minute to set up the interview. I would just check in with your recruiter weekly at the least. I got over my fear of being annoying more out of fear of missing the opportunity! 

Glad to know that im in good company. I was supposed to get in the October boards too, but I guess my MEPS was too close to it. But now with the changing of my recruiters again, Im not sure where Im at. I heard the clinical interview is pretty in depth, going into detail about the patient acuity you deal with and all. I feel kinda lacking in that department, like I have no real long time experience running resuscitation rooms, nor am I ICU trained and all. What are some questions you had? Im trying to formulate some questions for the Air Force, but Im coming up blanks haha. Thank you for the advice. Im giving my new recruiter until Thursday to call me, before I call them. And yes, I rather make sure Im on top of all my stuff instead of missing things. Kinda like how you have to get over calling the doctor for clarification or orders instead of not, thinking that youre annoying them and all haha. 

[Trigirl80]

9 hours ago, lnm601 said:

I finally got the WINGS email today which was great, but still no orders for me either! Hoping I get them soon so I can contact TMO and get going with arranging my move hopefully (but not likely) before 5 Jan. 

How did you find out your assignment and class date? A phone call or email? My recruiter made it sound like he isn’t involved in that piece at all. So how do we get notified?

[Trigirl80]

9 hours ago, lnm601 said:

I hope you don't have to be away from your baby for too long! thank goodness for your husband, LOL. and oh my goodness, that's insane! I was intending to ship my car, they don't recommend driving across rural Canada alone in the Winter LOL. So if I have to rent a car or something when I get there I guess I will! Not sure what a time estimate will be. Just hoping for those dang orders soon so I can start figuring some of that stuff out!

We shipped a car to Alaska from Ohio and it took about 3 weeks. When we shipped a car from Alaska to Florida it took 6 weeks! The problem is they go by land as far as Tacoma and the. Have to wait for the next ferry. So plan accordingly. And no. Do NOT drive through Canada in the Winter.