Air Force October 2010

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Just wondering who all has/is submitting their application for the October due date for the AF for the up and coming boards?

Specializes in cardiology, med/surg, endo/day surgery.

I, also, wonder since I put in since early spring time 2010 (April 1) and if what is being said here is true...all the last board applicants are first anyway! OH the horror! Not that I'm not happy for them..I am, but it makes that much tougher for us all now :crying2: My final packet was turned in September 2010, as this was when my recruiter said they should be all finished and turned in so that her superior could review them. I had one call in October to re-do a part of my resume/ CV. Other than that...it's been quiet. I'm kicking myself that I should have done this when I was 20 rather than 37!!!! Life leasons....:rolleyes:

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Med/Surg.

I feel your pain. This "not knowing" is difficult! I put in for an emergency nurse position. I had thoughts of joining the military early in my 20's but ended up married and raising 2 kids instead! I went back to school in 2006 to turn my RN to BSN. I worked full time and did most of my course work between midnight and 4 am! I really want to get my DNP either as nurse practitioner or CRNA. I am hopeful that I can do that with the Air Force. Time will tell... I guess I have waited this long. I think I will stay committed to getting in no matter when that happens!

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Specializes in cardiology, med/surg, endo/day surgery.
I feel your pain. This "not knowing" is difficult! I put in for an emergency nurse position. I had thoughts of joining the military early in my 20's but ended up married and raising 2 kids instead! I went back to school in 2006 to turn my RN to BSN. I worked full time and did most of my course work between midnight and 4 am! I really want to get my DNP either as nurse practitioner or CRNA. I am hopeful that I can do that with the Air Force. Time will tell... I guess I have waited this long. I think I will stay committed to getting in no matter when that happens!

I am pretty much in the same boat. 37 and origionally an RN with ADN 1993 (when I was 21). I married the "wrong guy" and let my work go second to raising 2 kids and working part time around his military life in the coast guard. I divorced 2005 and remaried a year and a 1/2 later to an amazing guy...am able to grow now and have wings. I have spent the past 3 years getting my BSN and officially get it in 3 wks:) I realized that I wanted this back when I was 21 and didn't persue it because of the ex and kids...sigh...I want this pretty badly now for my self growth and want the same goals as you with the DNP to look at FNP or CRNA. I figured the Air Force was the way to go! I could just kick my younger self for not doing this all back then!!

I am still flipping out and it's hard to concentrate. I will likely wait (not by choice) until monday to find out what that phone call was about. It's not sounding good as those who got contacted got bad news. We'll see. I'm interested in what everyone else is doing to stay busy:)

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Pediatrics.

My situation is completely different. I am 29, prior service Army MP, I received my BSN in 2007. I have been trying to get into the Air Force since spring of 2008. That is when I first contacted a healthcare recruiter. I had some major weight issues after having my son and then Nursing School right after that didn't help much, so I had a lot to lose before I could start the process. Called that recruiter in spring 2009, she was going back to her old job and there was a new recruiter who was taking her place. This new recruiter did absolutely nothing to help me, he was more worried about getting his new grads done and ready to go than he was about helping me get things ready. Soooo, he passed my information and almost completed packet to another recruiter in a different state!! However, he decided to do this after the October board of 2009!!! Even though the whole time he said that my packet would be completed in time for this board!!! The new recruiter from a different state was on the ball. Meet with him shortly after he received my info and had my packet complete before xmas. Then he informed me that they had filled all of their slots for NICU nurses. He could have sent my packet in for general nursing, but I refuse to go back to adult nursing, so we waited. In spring of this year I contacted him, and they had re-assigned him to different recruiting duties and so had to deal with another recruiter change!!! When my original recruiter came back, he took it upon himself to get my packet done because the new recruiter was to be gone for over a month doing training! We did the finishing touches on my packet and chief nurse interview first week of September and then submitted my packet. I have been waiting a loooooooonnnnnngggggg time for this and if not selected, I will be extremely ******!! I was submitted for NICU with a possibility for OB/LDR. If not selected or an alternate, I will of course continue to wait. I, at this point don't know what else to do. There are no jobs where I live, and I am applying to positions in 2 different states! I used to apply to hundreds-thousands of positions a month (this includes re-applying to positions already applied to). But I don't apply to that many positions anymore. I am sick and tired of applying to positions and not even being given a chance. Most applications are filed within 24 hrs after submission. I receive emails right after applying to something being told that I will not be considered or have not been selected for the positions. I get shot down before even being able to speak to anyone. When I do get the chance to talk to someone, I am told that they are looking for nurses that have X number of years experience in the specific area or after having a great interview, I am told that they decided to hire someone with more experience in the area. I am sorry to the older, more experienced nurses here, but to me this is BS. More experience doesn't always mean that they are the better candidate!!

I need and want this more than anything! I have worked very hard for this!! I am sure that others here have worked hard for this too, but I doubt that many of you have gone through all the crap that I have gone through in my very short time of being a nurse (Just saying). Good luck to all!!

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Med/Surg.

Good luck to you rnpic. It sounds like you have had a frustrating nursing career so far.

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Specializes in cardiology, med/surg, endo/day surgery.

rnpic, we all want it badly or we wouldn't be here in the same boat, ya know? Experience or not, they found that for one reason or another we all had something they wanted and that's why we got picked to go this far...lets keep up hope. I recieved a missed call friday...the other two here who got a call friday got bad news...so, yes, I'm freaked! Keep your chin up and I totally understand where you're coming from...much luck wished your way.

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Specializes in OR/Trauma/Surgery/CriticalCare.

Rnpic, Im sure there are quite a few of us that are just as frustrated as you. We all have our loops we had to jump through to get to this point. The fact is, regardless of how we got here, we're all at the same point.

It seems as much as you don't think experience doesn't carry much weight, the reality is, all your potential employers do and the air force may very well think so too. This is all a sign of the times, where the nursing shortage is gone and the employers have the luxury to pick and choose.

All us "experienced" nurses found it frustrating not so long ago to have new grads enter a specialty (ICU, ER, OR) when we were required to have a year or 2 of med surg experience prior to even being allowed to apply in a specialty. Then to start at a new grad salary at that. All this, because of the nursing shortage and the employers needed bodies to staff. Our frustrations continue to the present for us "experienced" nurses that made this our career because the newer nurses stay long enough to fill a resume and apply to CRNA, ARNP school. Do I blame them? No, but would you want them really putting you or your loved one to sleep over an experienced critical care nurse that eventually became a CRNA? Either way, this is just where our profession lies right now. This nation hasn't been this well "nursed" for awhile.

The frustration is all relative to your personal situation. But if you really want something there is going to be sacrifices like accepting a different role until one opens, moving, etc., Im not trying to act like im aware of your personal and professional situation, I'm just saying generally. I really hope you get in....I hope we all do and many of us are relating to your frustrations.

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Akellyrn and Rn1972 Sorry to hear about boards...it sounds like it is brutal. Just out of curiosity, how many years' experience as a nurse and how old are you both. It is obvious that the Air Force is becoming choosier with their candidates; hopefully they are not trying to decrease the age limit that is required to get in. I saw that for other parts of the AF to serve as an officer, you have to commission before your 35th birthday, and nurses were to commission by their 40th birthday. I wonder is with the large pool of candidates that maybe they are pushing the age of people they take down to be closer in line to 35 years of age. I have no idea though, just thinking out-loud. It would be nice if we got a statistical analysis of the board selection.

IowaRNBSN

I'm 24 and I've been a nurse for less than a year. Currently I'm working at a pediatric hospital, but for the air force I was trying to enter as an L&D nurse. I have no L&D experience! Maybe that's why I wasn't chosen?? :(

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Specializes in cardiology, med/surg, endo/day surgery.
I'm 24 and I've been a nurse for less than a year. Currently I'm working at a pediatric hospital, but for the air force I was trying to enter as an L&D nurse. I have no L&D experience! Maybe that's why I wasn't chosen?? :(

Akellyrn, are you told if you're on a wait list or not? Did they simply say "sorry, not accepted"??? Don't kick yourself! Did you ask if your aplication will be held over and re-entered for the next board? I'm waiting, too...and had that missed call friday...so am scared. I feel like if we are denied, we need to find out what options we have to be selected in the future. I have heard of nurses who drop and refuse their location/comission and there must be a stand-by list?? Possibly??? I'm sending huge hugs and suport your way! Don't be down on yourself!

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Akellyrn, are you told if you're on a wait list or not? Did they simply say "sorry, not accepted"??? Don't kick yourself! Did you ask if your aplication will be held over and re-entered for the next board? I'm waiting, too...and had that missed call friday...so am scared. I feel like if we are denied, we need to find out what options we have to be selected in the future. I have heard of nurses who drop and refuse their location/comission and there must be a stand-by list?? Possibly??? I'm sending huge hugs and suport your way! Don't be down on yourself!

Aww...thanks!! My recruiter told me that he would indeed resubmit my application and mentioned that the next board should meet in march-may timeframe. Hopefully they open more spots! You have a great deal of experience so I'm sure that's advantageous for you. Be sure to update everyone tomorrow! Good luck to you!

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Pediatrics.
Rnpic, Im sure there are quite a few of us that are just as frustrated as you. We all have our loops we had to jump through to get to this point. The fact is, regardless of how we got here, we're all at the same point.

It seems as much as you don't think experience doesn't carry much weight, the reality is, all your potential employers do and the air force may very well think so too. This is all a sign of the times, where the nursing shortage is gone and the employers have the luxury to pick and choose.

All us "experienced" nurses found it frustrating not so long ago to have new grads enter a specialty (ICU, ER, OR) when we were required to have a year or 2 of med surg experience prior to even being allowed to apply in a specialty. Then to start at a new grad salary at that. All this, because of the nursing shortage and the employers needed bodies to staff. Our frustrations continue to the present for us "experienced" nurses that made this our career because the newer nurses stay long enough to fill a resume and apply to CRNA, ARNP school. Do I blame them? No, but would you want them really putting you or your loved one to sleep over an experienced critical care nurse that eventually became a CRNA? Either way, this is just where our profession lies right now. This nation hasn't been this well "nursed" for awhile.

The frustration is all relative to your personal situation. But if you really want something there is going to be sacrifices like accepting a different role until one opens, moving, etc., Im not trying to act like im aware of your personal and professional situation, I'm just saying generally. I really hope you get in....I hope we all do and many of us are relating to your frustrations.

I'm not saying that experience doesn't carry much weight, but how is a newer nurse supposed to get any experience if no one gives them a chance or "the time of day" to prove to them that they too are/can be a great nurse. I too was told to get med surg experience and I had that med surg experience. After doing med/surg, I was basically told that I was a med/surg nurse and couldn't get anything in the specialty that I desperately want to have a career in because of not enough experience in the specialty area. I have taken jobs to get my foot in the door to hopefully be able to transfer to where I want and nothing but hardship and stress came of that position. I suffered severe emotional stress and harassment from nurses at this facility (unit specific) to the point where I hated/dreaded going to work and was sometimes afraid to go to work. The manager that hired me was awesome and then he took a position at another facility and the nurse that took his place as manager hated me from the minute I walked onto the unit (or so that is how she treated me). I could tell her my concerns or what was going on and she did absolutely nothing about it. I didn't know where to turn or who to go to. After I left this facility, I started doing Pediatric Home Health because I couldn't get any other job due to lack of experience and the fact that this facility basically owns the city and has other facilities all over the area. I cared for an infant who's mother works at this facility as an RN and she informed me that the unit I worked on is the worst unit in the hospital! Wish I would have known that before accepting the position! I have made a lot of sacrifices since becoming a nurse and have had a lot of hardships throughout my life. I have had so much bad luck since becoming a nurse than all of my nurse friends. For me, the saying "Nurses Eat there Young" has been completely true. Here I thought that life would be so much better after becoming an RN, and it has been the complete opposite thus far. When it comes to moving for a job, this is what I did. Sure it was within the same state, but I can't afford to move across the country. If there were positions out there that paid for relocation and their state nursing license, then maybe it could happen, but I have yet to find any that do these things. I'm not trying to say that my situation has been worse than any others here, but that's how I feel. It seems that most here are very experienced nurses, and where I live, you have the upper hand when it comes to open nursing positions. I wish I was that experienced, but I'm not and can't be if never given the chance. I too hope that we all get in, but that's not the reality right now. Too many were selected last year, so the positions aren't there for all of us right now. And I am sorry to those that don't get selected, especially if I happen to be one of them. I am more frustrated at the fact that I have had some really bad recruiters who didn't get things done. My packet should have been submitted last year for the October board, not a year later.

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Specializes in cardiology, med/surg, endo/day surgery.

rnpic,

YIKES...lots happening with you. I'm sorry to hear of all the trouble since starting nursing. Yes, nurses (for the most part) do eat their young. I do not know why this is. I can tell you when I first started back 16 years ago I was on the worst med/surg floor of a hospital...we were called the "junk floor" because we tood any and everything! I had the worst of the worst as patients and some of the worst nurses, too. I can tell you that from that experience and crying on my way home from the hospital...it made me a better and stronger nurse. :nurse: Did you ever hear "RN" stanst for Rough Neck? lol...

The entire world of nursing is not bad and I hope it turns good for you. Give it a chance :) I do hope we all make it and right now I'm not thinking abour reality...I'm hoping that those who do not make this first cut will get pushed to the next cut and so forth. I have hope. You have a few more years on me to keep trying. The age cut off is 42, and I'm 37. I get pushed off a year or two and it's a lot harder to do push ups and maintain when I'm almost 60 at retirement :uhoh3: If I'm that lucky... Yes, we "old" nurses have paid some dues, but that does not make it so that we jump ahead of you in line. I think much is to do with the specialty we have chosen to advance in the Air Force. I imagine a greater need for some nurses than others. I think those retiring and opening spots make a big difference where they need a nurse. Do not give up hope!

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