Air Force nursing!!! Question about becoming a NP

[johnro]

Hello all you knowledgable Air Force nurses!!! I just recently commissioned and will be starting the NTP program in a couple of weeks and I am already looking ahead. I want to be a psychiatric DNP and was hoping I could get some insight as to how I am able to do that while on active duty and what I can do now to start preparing. Continuing my education is a top priority for me and I hope you all can shed some light on how to make that happen. Again, I'm active duty, NTP candidate, and want to get my DNP as a Mental Heath NP. How do I accomplish this...Go!!! 😷

Thanks,

John

[jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA]

Good name by the way! You'll have to do 2 years at your first base to be eligible for AFIT (the program that sends you to school full-time on the Air Force's dime with a full salary). The problem I see with you is that you'll likely need a few years as a psych nurse before the Air Force will let you do psych DNP. That's after you do the obligatory 2 years of inpatient med-surg they make all of the other new grads do. If you throw-in the psych fellowship (6 weeks I think) and all the 'catches' with taking that (often they make you do 1-2 assignments in that specialty), I think you're looking at 4-6 years before you're eligible to apply.

[johnro]

Thank you so much! Thet clarifies a lot of things. So, if I decided to get my family practice DNP instead, I would need to two years at my first duty station, correct? Do you have any experience with applying for the program? I've heard that some years it's very easy to get in and others it can be more difficult. Any reason for that? I have another question for you. I was a little curious about my retirement. I have nine years in the Navy and would like to make it to 20 total. Do you Know if those nine years are added into your equation as far as making rate and be in eligible for all the benefits?

[johnro]

Also, Do I have to only go to the military college or am I able to go to anyone of the state schools in the country?

[jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA]

Well, those are the minimum requirements to apply. FNP is one of the more competitive AIT programs, and therefore I wouldn't think you'd be very competitive after 2 years. Plus, you usually need some experience in an outpatient clinic to do FNP. I have no idea about the competitiveness year-to-year; it varies by program for sure (more lucrative ones in the civilian sector are more competitive typically).

If you choose FNP (and a few others including CRNA), then you're going to USUHS in D.C. (military grad school). If you choose a program the military doesn't offer (CNS or management), then you can pick an in-state school of your choice.

If your 9 years are active duty, then you'll come in as an O-1E with 9 years of time in grade (google officer pay charts). You'll also get 9 years towards retirement and have the ability to retire as a O-3E if you choose to (everyone else has to make it to O-4).