Confused about AF Nursing

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Hey guys and gals,

I've read a lot of posts about military nursing and I think I've narrowed it down to the AF; however, I'm confused on what to do. I graduate in early May this year (2010). I have a job interview tomorrow (Apr 7) on a general med/surg floor at a local 125 bed hospital. I eventually want to get critical care experience and go to crna school (as a civilian :)). However, I'm not sure what to do next. I always thought that getting into the military just took a pen and a handshake. Now, everyone is talking about months of waiting, paperwork, and interviews? Seriously? When did the military seriously screen people with interviews?

Anyway, what is your advice? If I decide to join AF right out of nursing school what should I do next? What is the process? Paperwork with recuriter? Take NCLEX first?

Also, what's the deal with COT and NTP? I'm in AR so I live 25min from LRAFB, but doubt I would get assigned there. So would I have to go to AL for COT then somewhere else for NTP and then FINALLY get my first assignment?

Also, what's the minimum service length? 3yrs? 4yrs? Deployment length? 4-6months?

Sorry for all the questions, I just get confused with all the posts (may it's late too :uhoh3:)

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Specializes in EMT, ER, Homehealth, OR.

For the enlisted side of the house the pen and a handshake is pretty close to what happens. On the officer side of all branches it is more indepth as you have read here.

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Specializes in ED. ICU, PICU, infection prevention, aeromedical e.

You are onto a good start. At this point, you need to get in with a medical recruiter. You have to call and make contact and appt. They are not the guys as the mall. you can go to airforce.com and find a recruiter. It will take you awhile to get in.

COT is 4.5 weeks in alabama.

NTP is for new nurses and is a skill builder as you transission into being a nurse. I think that is 3 months and the assignment varies with availability. Sometimes NTP is at your first duty station.

Minimum lenght of service is 3 years. Listen to all the potential bonuses and/or loan repayments with different years of commitment.

Do not go into the recruiter with an attitude of what can you do for me. Go in with the what do I need to do to get accepted.

It has been the hardest job I've ever worked to get.

Working on your NCLEX will help distract from the wait. Go ahead and interviews and take a job while you wait. \

Good luck.

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Hey everyone, thanks for the replies.

I'm interviewing for a general med/surg job here in about 4 hours. I've already worked for them for 1 1/2 years and then xfer'd to the ccu (both nurses aid spots). They love me and want me back as an RN so it sounds like a job offer more than interview. However, I don't want to screw them and take the job, go through 6 weeks of orientation, then say "bye i'm going to air force!".

Anyway, I want to do the 3 year term, get some critical care & trauma experience and when I get out, apply to CRNA school as a civilian. I just think the military can offer unbeatable experience and opportunities that will boost my career and chances at acceptance to CRNA school.

So, my plan now should be to take this job, take nclex, talk to recruiter, go to COT then NTP correct? Depending on how long I work before I get in (6mo I believe) can I skip NTP? That would be ideal because I would like to just go to AL for the 4-5 weeks then make the big move to my first duty station. It would kind of suck to have to move three times very quickly (AL, NTP, 1st Duty).

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
Hey everyone, thanks for the replies.

I'm interviewing for a general med/surg job here in about 4 hours. I've already worked for them for 1 1/2 years and then xfer'd to the ccu (both nurses aid spots). They love me and want me back as an RN so it sounds like a job offer more than interview. However, I don't want to screw them and take the job, go through 6 weeks of orientation, then say "bye i'm going to air force!".

Anyway, I want to do the 3 year term, get some critical care & trauma experience and when I get out, apply to CRNA school as a civilian. I just think the military can offer unbeatable experience and opportunities that will boost my career and chances at acceptance to CRNA school.

So, my plan now should be to take this job, take nclex, talk to recruiter, go to COT then NTP correct? Depending on how long I work before I get in (6mo I believe) can I skip NTP? That would be ideal because I would like to just go to AL for the 4-5 weeks then make the big move to my first duty station. It would kind of suck to have to move three times very quickly (AL, NTP, 1st Duty).

What is your plan to get Critical Care and Trauma experience when you join the AF? You would be coming in as a med-surg nurse and placed accordingly based on that...i.e...you are not going to get a job in ICU/ER with the AF as a new nurse.

Not to cause trouble but you are not likely to get the minimum acute care experience in 3yrs with the AF joining as a new nurse with no critical care background.

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What is your plan to get Critical Care and Trauma experience when you join the AF? You would be coming in as a med-surg nurse and placed accordingly based on that...i.e...you are not going to get a job in ICU/ER with the AF as a new nurse.

Not to cause trouble but you are not likely to get the minimum acute care experience in 3yrs with the AF joining as a new nurse with no critical care background.

I just assumed that it was about the same as Army. One year of Med/Surg experience before you can apply for specialty training. Some people who have fulfilled that requirement or are already a ccu nurse on the civilian side are critical care nurses from the start. I just figured that I could do a year or so of med/surg civilian then join AF and do mostly CCU/Trauma. How do you go about getting those spots/training in AF?

I definitely do not want to do a year of med/surg civilian, join AF and do 3yrs of med/surg...:o

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
I just assumed that it was about the same as Army. One year of Med/Surg experience before you can apply for specialty training. Some people who have fulfilled that requirement or are already a ccu nurse on the civilian side are critical care nurses from the start. I just figured that I could do a year or so of med/surg civilian then join AF and do mostly CCU/Trauma. How do you go about getting those spots/training in AF?

I definitely do not want to do a year of med/surg civilian, join AF and do 3yrs of med/surg...:o

Most of the time there is no easy way to get into ICU or ER in the AF without prior experience. You could apply for one of the critical care internships, but by the time you are eligible to apply then with the payback it would take you would be well over your 3yr timeline. Also, there are very few military CCU/trauma ICUs especially in the AF.

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Most of the time there is no easy way to get into ICU or ER in the AF without prior experience. You could apply for one of the critical care internships, but by the time you are eligible to apply then with the payback it would take you would be well over your 3yr timeline. Also, there are very few military CCU/trauma ICUs especially in the AF.

So am I going about this all wrong? I want to do minimal med/surg in military and get awesome ccu/trauma experience. I think if I had military ccu/trauma experience on resume for crna school, i'd be in like flinn.

I've heard mixed opinions about AF in regards to ccu/trauma (whether it's prevalent or not). In your opinion, what would the best branch be for good ccu/trauma experience? I like the family friendliness of AF, good extras, and shorter deployment time, but if I can't get ccu/trauma experience then it doesn't do me a lot of good...

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
So am I going about this all wrong? I want to do minimal med/surg in military and get awesome ccu/trauma experience. I think if I had military ccu/trauma experience on resume for crna school, i'd be in like flinn.

I've heard mixed opinions about AF in regards to ccu/trauma (whether it's prevalent or not). In your opinion, what would the best branch be for good ccu/trauma experience? I like the family friendliness of AF, good extras, and shorter deployment time, but if I can't get ccu/trauma experience then it doesn't do me a lot of good...

If your ultimate goal is to get the best CCU/Trauma experience you can for a civilian CRNA program then you should look at a civilian medium to large level I or II trauma center in or near a major urban center.

There is a lot more to getting into CRNA school than just the "perfect" job experience. I don't know if you have already, but may want to try to decide what kind CRNA school you would like to get into: Frontloaded vs. Intergrated, ACT focused clinicals vs. Independent type clinicals, level of autonomy, regional training opportunities, MSN vs. Non MSN program, student pass rates/attrition rates, hard science courses, reputation of the program, students ability to get jobs from that particular program after graduation, sharing clinical sites/cases/procedures with MDA residents....These are just some of the things to think about when choosing a good CRNA school.

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If your ultimate goal is to get the best CCU/Trauma experience you can for a civilian CRNA program then you should look at a civilian medium to large level I or II trauma center in or near a major urban center.

There is a lot more to getting into CRNA school than just the "perfect" job experience. I don't know if you have already, but may want to try to decide what kind CRNA school you would like to get into: Frontloaded vs. Intergrated, ACT focused clinicals vs. Independent type clinicals, level of autonomy, regional training opportunities, MSN vs. Non MSN program, student pass rates/attrition rates, hard science courses, reputation of the program, students ability to get jobs from that particular program after graduation, sharing clinical sites/cases/procedures with MDA residents....These are just some of the things to think about when choosing a good CRNA school.

For the most part, my ultimate goal is to become a CRNA; however, I also feel that using my skills as a health care provider in the US military is an awesome opportunity. There's a certain sense of pride and honor in doing that. I know being a nurse in general is great, but it seems like it would be AWESOME to say that I'm a nurse in the military - it's just a whole other level of nursing.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
For the most part, my ultimate goal is to become a CRNA; however, I also feel that using my skills as a health care provider in the US military is an awesome opportunity. There's a certain sense of pride and honor in doing that. I know being a nurse in general is great, but it seems like it would be AWESOME to say that I'm a nurse in the military - it's just a whole other level of nursing.

I wasn't saying it couldn't be done, but your goals and timeline don't work together. I think military nursing is great, and it can give more opportunities than anything on the civilian side.

Do you have aversion to considering one of the military CRNA schools?

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I wasn't saying it couldn't be done, but your goals and timeline don't work together. I think military nursing is great, and it can give more opportunities than anything on the civilian side.

Do you have aversion to considering one of the military CRNA schools?

Well, I'm not completely sure that I want to do military long-term. Nothing against those who do (a lot of my family and friends do), but I'm not sure it would be good for my family. However, we could get through it just fine for 3-4 years. I'm just afraid that I'll join, do 3yrs of med/surg bc i got delayed ccu spot, re-up for 3 years, get ccu, then do 2yrs of crna school, and then still owe military 4 years bc they paid for crna school. I could be in the military for a loooong time. Plus i've heard that it's VERY competitive in the military - better chances as a civilian.

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