Air Force Nursing 2013

Specialties Government

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Hi everyone,

I just recently started the process to apply to be an Air Force nurse. I'm trying to complete my packet for the January 2013 (Feb 19-Board, Mar 08-Decision). Anyone else currently starting or in the process? Any advice with gathering my information?

Any current Air Force Nurses that could give me insight about their experience, especially regarding their first assignment?

My husband is about to separate from the Army and we are used to that way of thinking and doing things (i.e. lots of misleading information, less family oriented, less options regarding career). My recruiter had mentioned that everyone goes into a general clinical nurse slot, but is given the opportunity to specialize into a department of their choice after one year. My initial response was "Yeah... riiighhhttt." I don't actually believe that I would be given such a choice so soon, but I'm not sure if that is only because of our experience with the Army. Can anyone enlighten me??

Thanks!!

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
Found out today that I was switched from alternate to select and attend COT in August. So I hope this means good news for other alternates!

Congrats! I know you have been trying for a while, I am glad to see your effort has finally paid off! :)

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I too found out that I have been switched from alternative to selected. I leave for COT in August as well!!!! I am so excited!

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Specializes in Clinic Nursing, Family Planning, OR.

Thanks Pixie! Congrats Bogielea!

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Thanks JillyRN! Congrats to you as well!

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IT has taken me two years to get into air force reserves. I have been RN since 2006, recieved my Bachelors 2011. I am ICU nurse. also have experience in trauma/ER and flight. I have had three recruiters. First got orders midway, second was a fill in and the boss of the third. The third I find out after many troubles with her contacting me and paperwork issues, is brand new as a healthcare recruiter. IT will all be over in a week when I sign my final paperwork, and swear in. YEAH! I start drill in August and COT in November. SO Good luck. And if your are not working as RN, you need to! From what I understand they are cutting jobs so you need experience. I am also starting school for my NP in June.

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Specializes in kjhflkjshdflkjsd.

Congrats JillyRN!!!!!! Just now seeing this! Wonderful news....very excited for you :-)

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Specializes in Clinic Nursing, Family Planning, OR.

Thanks so much Carlily!!! It's all very exciting and I'll be relieved to finally swear in.

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Please forgive me if I'm asking something that has already been answered. I'm trying to find out what my first step is to become an AF nurse (other than talking to a recruiter). I'm in Japan right now (Navy spouse) and will be graduating with my BSN in Aug 2015. What would my next step be and when should I start all of this? I am planning to talk to a recruiter as soon as I get back stateside in a few weeks, but am also worried of them not being completely honest with me.

On another note, what are the typical duty stations for new nurses? I'm hoping for CO or FL. Is the program competitive right now like it is with the Navy? Any sign on bonuses?

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

The current numbers change all the time. I got a 20K bonus and 40K of loan repayment last year. You have to ask a recruiter to know for sure.

You can kiss your Florida and Colorado goodbye. FL is pretty coveted and CO only has a clinic. You may get to do NTP in FL (your 12 weeks of new nurse training), but your won't get stationed there most likely. New grad nurses have to start out at a major hospital. That narrows your options to places like Travis, Elmendorf, SAMC, Wright Patt, etc.

The recruiter might color the truth by omission, but they generally don't lie if you know what questions to ask. Officer recruiters really don't have much reason to lie. They have way more applicants than spots. They just wait for people to come to them.

You've got the better part of a year to apply, get accepted, and show up at training. There are dozens of pages of forms, essays, letters of rec, a physical, and a interview. You will need to start applying right now to be ready for the new grad board next summer (June or July I think).

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Specializes in Invasive Cardiology.

I have sponged a lot of good info from years of this thread. If anyone can give me some insight I would tremendously appreciate it! I am prior service (enlisted), 4 yr AD Army (medic) and 8 years Air National Guard. Been out for about 8 years and desperately want to go back in!! I have my first CN interview next week!!!! It has been my dream to become commissioned since I was 20 years old. I have been RN in a major academic university hospital for 11 years, 10 of them in the cardiac cath lab. A tremendous amount of life experience in between, I have four kids, 44 years old and want to complete my 20 years for that pension!!! Just completed BSN with great GPA and I have several connections to get back in, in many of the guard units in the area. The nursing superintendant down played this interview but I am old school and plan to be 100% professional, attire, letters of recommendation and all. I read about the infamous "9 questions" somewhere in this thread, do I need to learn about these questions before this interview? And how does the selection board work? I cannot find great info on that anywhere...guessing this is quite a lengthy process....

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

My guess is that you'll enter as an O-3E, which is definitely good for you financially; you'll start off over 100k per year (after you include the BAS and BAH). I'm not exactly sure how they convert guard time to active duty time, though. However, you only need 4 years and 1 day of AD enlisted experience and 8 years of full time RN experience to get O-3E; I'm pretty sure you've got it.

Those 9 questions should be part of the paper application, not the interview. They, along with the rest of your ENTIRE application, should have been completed prior to the interview so that the chief nurse can review them. The interview is the absolute last step in the process prior to the board.

The chief nurse does have a list of questions that they go through with you, but they are pretty basic (gauging your feelings about guns, PT, deployment) if you are prior-enlisted. Most of the interview is them giving you info about a career in the nurse corps. It's not really a hard-core, weed-out session.

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Specializes in Invasive Cardiology.

Jfratian, Thank you!! The quote on the salary sounds great however I would be re-entering as a traditional guardsman. I do not know of any AGR positions for RN!!! As O-3E guard pay would be very nice, $700+ I think....didn't realize I may re-enter at O-3E, that's GREAT news, interesting and explains a lot. I think I am doing things a little backwards as per my "connections". No application has been completed and I have not seen a recruiter. No one calls me back which is why I resorted to my "connections". The posted position I was originally applying for at a different unit was put on hold so I went elsewhere. As far as converting guard time to ad time it is done on a point system somehow. I think I understand that it is the application packet that is reviewed by the board but in addition do you physically interview before a board?

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