Air Force Psychiatric RN

[Deargceann]

Did not even realize this was a thing until I was browsing the local job boards? A little background about me. I have a MEd. in counseling and a BSN. I've been working in psych for almost 2 years now, a RN for almost 3. My question is what is the pay like compared to civilian nursing. Also would I be deployed as a psych nurse? Any AF psych nurses, please tell me a little about your experiences. Patient population, do you feel like you make a difference? Thank you in advance.

[jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA]

I'm AF med-surg, but we just opened up the AF's 3rd inpatient psych unit; several of my co-workers just got back from the psych training program (to staff the new unit). The big downside is that there are exactly 3 inpatient psych locations in the Air Force: Elmendorf, AK, Travis, CA, & San Antonio, TX. Your career mobility is pretty limited unless you get out of your psych specialty code.

Yes, you absolutely can deploy as any type of nurse in the Air Force. Certain specialties deploy as med-surg, though.

The pay (including housing and food allowances) is slightly higher compared to civilian nurses in the southeast initially (O-1 to O-2) and much higher beyond that. You take a pay cut until O-3 if you work in the Northeast. You generally work more hours though and move every 2-4 years. You could hypothetically be deployed 6 months out of every 18 as well.

[PG2018]

Good information. Do you know anything about the psychiatric nurse practitioner roles. I'm finalizing my degree program (MSN) in that field. I've given a lot of thought and pursuit to serving in military roles, particularly reserve, but there's so much momentum required to keep an application process moving that my present time constraints basically yields a fizzled effort. Anything you might share about the APRN role would be very welcomed. I haven't been able to find a lot of Air Force information out there.

I'm AF med-surg, but we just opened up the AF's 3rd inpatient psych unit; several of my co-workers just got back from the psych training program (to staff the new unit). The big downside is that there are exactly 3 inpatient psych locations in the Air Force: Elmendorf, AK, Travis, CA, & San Antonio, TX. Your career mobility is pretty limited unless you get out of your psych specialty code.

Yes, you absolutely can deploy as any type of nurse in the Air Force. Certain specialties deploy as med-surg, though.

The pay (including housing and food allowances) is slightly higher compared to civilian nurses in the southeast initially (O-1 to O-2) and much higher beyond that. You take a pay cut until O-3 if you work in the Northeast. You generally work more hours though and move every 2-4 years. You could hypothetically be deployed 6 months out of every 18 as well.

[jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA]

I know that there is an AFIT (active duty full time graduate education for nursing) training program for psych NP, therefore they must be taking direct commission applicants too.