Flight Nursing in Air Force Reserves

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Hi everyone, I am an ICU RN in a liver transplant unit at USC with 1.5 years of critical care experience and half a year on a neuro DOU floor. I reached out to an air force reserve recruiter asking about flight nursing opportunities and according to him there is a shortage of flight nurses in the Air Force.

I sent him my resume and I am waiting on him to let me know if the CNO at March Air Force Base in California would like to pick me up for commission.

Are there any current flight nurses in the air force reserves that can share their experiences? I'd like to know what to expect in terms of the timeline between contacting recruiter and commissioning. Also, how long is COT, flight school, survival training, and approximately how much time do you serve per month? Is it possible to keep a full time position at a hospital?

Any thoughts and experiencs would help =)

Hello Rmaroon,

I am new to this thread and reading all posts regarding Flight nurse. I am a prior Army Reserves nurse corp 1Lt with an ADN and finishing up my BSN this month (December 2017). I was an ER nurse for 3 plus years and now working as an Operating Room nurse . Planning to join Air Force Reserves, fisrt choice is flight nurse , second choice is Operating room nurse. Just wanted to get some input from you. Are you still in process or are you in already? If so, how was the process?

Rob

This thread is AMAZING! I am more than ready to join the AF reserve as a flight nurse. I'm currently an ARNP in Infectious Diseases with 4 years of exp in ER as RN. I contacted a AF healthcare recruiter and he told me that NP positions are full and there is a shortage of FN. At first the idea didn't sit right with me because I wouldn't practice as an NP in AF, which is my goal. Now after much threads on here, I am encouraged to join as an FN (was considering Navy Reserves but AF looks more appealing).

Some questions I have:

1) RCOT vs COT; do I have a say in to which one I may get placed in? I work for a private practice that consists of two MDs and one other NP. Have brought up this subject with my employers yet.

2) When does tuition assistance kick in?

3) I live in Miami, FL - any bases that are "better" in FN? I am not sure if Homestead AFRB has a aeromedical evac squadron

Thanks for this amazing thread. I've bumped into outdated info but boy am I glad to have found this one!

1. After you take oath your base will try to schedule in asap for next COT . Rcot are offered only 2 times a year . So yes there is a chance you might go in Rcot . small chance i would say .

2.Tuition starts i think after all process of your training is done. many many months in .

3. a health recruiter would help you find a flight nurse position close to home .

Specializes in Cardiac ICU.

If I were you, I'd just be careful. Be SURE you know what you are signing up for and read EVERYTHING. No, not all recruiters are dirty, but, I've known a few and I got burned by one (but I turned it back around on him).

Air Force, even when they are short, is notoriously tight. They also hedge their bets. This is why you need to ask, flat out, if the job you want is GUARANTEED.

Now, granted, this was a while ago and my personal experience. AND, this recruiter WAS honest with me. I wanted to join to be a firefighter (CFR). The recruiter told me that the ONLY job that they will guarantee, is if you sign up for Para rescue. Beyond that, I would have signed up with a list of preferred jobs that I may or may not get. Air Force needs always win over your wants.

I'm not trying to be a downer, scare you (maybe a little), or putting down recruiters. I suspect that since you are being recruited and are interviewing, there is little danger of such a thing. All I am saying is, pay attention, ask A LOT of questions, and KNOW what you are signing. I'd hate to see you thinking you're gonna be a flight nurse and end up fixing powerlines in Minot, ND for 4 years...

Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

As an NP who presumably already has an MSN, you won't ever be eligible for tuition assistance (TA). TA is only to assist in obtaining your first graduate degree. You can't get another masters or doctorate with it. You can use your Montgomery GI bill (different from 9/11 bill) once you earn it, however part time classes aren't always a good use for it.

Just so you know up front, flight nursing is where they put the stable med-surg level patients. CCATT and TCCET handle all the really sick ICU and trauma type patients that need air-evac.

I've never been a flight nurse, but from what I can tell right now flight nursing handles a lot of psych these days, such as 'soldier joe who thinks about hurting themselves because they are tired of their deployment.' In my opinion, it's a lot of babysitting. Plus, flight nursing focuses on mission planning, crew management, and aircraft safety...all things that bore the crap out of me.

I worry when people want to join the AF with strong critical care backgrounds and think flight nursing will be the most interesting medical care they've ever seen. It's great to travel a bunch, but there is much better patient care to be had in the AF in my opinion (CCATT and TCCET).

Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

Also, NPs aren't generally utilized well in the AF. There is a very small, new role for acute care NPs. These people seemed to be used as inpatient hospitalists for the most part. However, all of those people (I don't think there are even a dozen of them right now) graduated from acute care NP programs. Family NP's are shoved in an outpatient clinic or given a management job.

Hello Rmaroon01,

Are you still in the process of getting into Air Force Reserve or are you already in? Just started talking to AF Recruiter and putting in my application. Would like to ask you few question if you dont mind.

Rob

Hello frangel,

Hows your apllication coming along? Did you leave AF enlisted and applied for AF commissioning program? Reserve or Active? If so, hows everything going? I just submitted my application about 2-3 weeks. I was prior service 1Lt US Army reserve nurse corps and trying to get in to fAF reserve flight nurse. Hopefully, i hear something soon. Just wondering what stage of the process you are in now?

I just started the process with a recruiter for flight nurse. But I'm curious about the CCATT, as that is what my background is and what I'm wanting to do. I've read the qualifications and I have everything they're asking for. Does Scott AFB in IL have a CCATT? And is that something you can commission into directly or do you go in as a flight nurse and then try and complete the school for the CCATT?

I just started the process with a recruiter for flight nurse. But I'm curious about the CCATT, as that is what my background is and what I'm wanting to do. I've read the qualifications and I have everything they're asking for. Does Scott AFB in IL have a CCATT? And is that something you can commission into directly or do you go in as a flight nurse and then try and complete the school for the CCATT?

If you're asking about the Reserve, Scott AFB has (I believe) 2 CCATT teams: 126th ANG and the 375th Medical Group (AFR). They are separate military branches in terms of commissioning. Just tell your recruiter you're interested in CCATT there and they can set you up with an interview. No flight nursing required. Or you can talk to an NG recruiter for the 126th parent squadron and start the process with them as well.

I've had trouble getting my recruiter to respond to me. He had me send in some initial documents like as birth Certificate, DL, desire statement, all sent in 2 weeks ago and haven't heard anything back from him yet other than that he got everything. How often should I be contacting him, aka harassing him about what needs to happen next??

Brutal honesty incoming: if you submitted all of that this month, you're looking at taking your oath December 2019/Jan 2020. Each step in the process happens in 1-2 month intervals. It's totally fine to ask for a checklist of what your process will be though, so you can atleast track your progress toward commissioning.

Specializes in ER.
On 5/21/2017 at 4:35 AM, Vona86 said:

That's awesome! I know you only have to have 6 months of nursing to start the application process but by the time you commissioned, you'll have about a year. The process is so long probably due to your flight physical which is more in-depth compared to MEPS. I've heard it take about a year to commission.

Flight nursing has a lot more benefits than CCATT but if you are looking for that experience, I would definitely go for it.

Reigniting this thread. I am considering the AF reserves as a flight nurse. I had my interview with the Lt. Col, chief, and recruiter last week.

I was curious about SERE and water survival school. They made it sound like it was like a near-death experience. I know not a lot can be said, but how bad was it?

also what are the hours like for AEIQ/all the other schooling?

How was COT?

Currently my biggest fear is the SERE -- they just made it sound so horrible!

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