Certification bonus

[johnro]

Good morning, Quick question for anyone: I was hoping to find out if anyone knows if I am eligible to get my medical surgical certification bonus if I took a commission bonus and school loan pay off bonus when I signed up for the Air Force? Or, do I have to wait till all of that is paid back before I can take the certification bonus? It seems like I should be able to get the bonus for certification. But, I was just curious. Hopefully, that makes sense. Thanks!!!

[jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA]

No you can't take the bonus until your are in the final year of your commitment. I'm in the same boat you're in. I took 6 years for 40K in loan repayment and 20K as a 1 time lump sum. It wasn't the right decision in hindsight.

If you took a 6 year deal, then you'll have to wait 5 years. There are several other requirements too, which you will need to talk to your chief nurse about. Essentially, you need be actually working in an inpatient setting, OR, ER, or PACU. Clinics don't count anymore. Also, you need to complete one of the approved AF courses for eligibility: NTP, ECCO, ENO, and SOS (to name a few).

[darthsunshine, BSN]

No you can't take the bonus until your are in the final year of your commitment. I'm in the same boat you're in. I took 6 years for 40K in loan repayment and 20K as a 1 time lump sum. It wasn't the right decision in hindsight.

If you took a 6 year deal, then you'll have to wait 5 years. There are several other requirements too, which you will need to talk to your chief nurse about. Essentially, you need be actually working in an inpatient setting, OR, ER, or PACU. Clinics don't count anymore. Also, you need to complete one of the approved AF courses for eligibility: NTP, ECCO, ENO, and SOS (to name a few).

Which AF course is required for the CNOR (certified OR nurse) bonus?

[jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA]

A lot of OR nurses I have seen do the ECCO (essentials of critical care orientation) course that the ICU nurses take