Frustrated and REALLY need to VENT right now!!!

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Pediatrics.

Ok, so...... This journey all started in March 2008. At the time I was overweight for AF standards and had to work my ass off to lose what I needed and then some. Then, after I had maintained for a few months, I called my recruiter and told her the good news and that i was ready to go and get everything moving. She informed me that she was going back to her old job and that this other person was taking over for her and to call him. She said that she would fill him in on me and give him whatever she had. This was March 2009!! Finally get in touch with this new recruiter in May. He is not very good at returning calls!! He finally sends me the application packet and some other information in late June-July. Never gave me a date or anything of when everything needed to be done. So, I got all of that done along with making copies of all of my prior service paperwork, Licenses, Certifications, and ordered transcripts. Sent everything to him in September. Finally went to MEPS in October for physical and security clearance. Then he says that he needed reference forms in order to do interview. OK. So, I track down who I needed to do these reference forms. Then, was told that all of my packet was being passed off to another recruiter in another state!!!! I talked to and met with this new recruiter within a few weeks. Got him everything he needed within a week with hopes of making the December cut off. Originally, I had wanted to make the Oct/Nov dates, but the last recruiter dropped the ball!! Plus, one of my transcripts had gotten lost, so I had to re-order it!!!

My hopes were to go to COT in January, the last recruiter screwed up my chances for that!! Now, wanting COT no later than March and am told my chances are very slim even for March but he would try. Also, trying to commission as a NICU specialist, so I had to do a few particular CEU's and renew/re-certify my NRP. DONE!!

So, everything is done except for interview and submit my packet. I get a call this morning saying that the AIR FORCE has filled all of their slots for NICU nurses for the YEAR!!! There were only 5!! How the hell do these slots get filled so fast if the AF fiscal year just started in OCTOBER! Now I am told that if I want to Commission NICU, I have to wait til next OCTOBER!! ***!!!!! Or, I can commission as a regular clinical nurse. Sorry, but I do not do Adult Med/Surg. I have been down that route and absolutely hated it! When asked about Nursery, he said that they do not separate Nursery from L&D and Postpartum. Though I do love and would love to do OB, I don't have any actual clinical experience in the area so can not get commissioned to that area.

I am so frustrated with all of this. :cry: :angryfire I don't know what to do anymore. I've tried getting jobs in area hospitals in NICU, Nursery, Peds, PICU, and OB without any luck at all (and I have gone as far as getting licensed in another state and applying to hospitals that are at least 2 hours away from my home!) I really can not wait another year!! Where I live, the unemployment rate is outrageous and people are still losing their jobs. My husband doesn't even know what is going to happen with his job! Applying to thousands of positions and then am told I do not have enough experience for them (they all want at least 3-5 years experience!) My current job is great but the pay sucks, I am not guaranteed my hours, no benefits (health insurance, dental, vision, vacation, or sick time!!), and I don't get paid to travel, no shift differential, and am only paid half my base pay to orient to new cases/clients!!! Being prior service, I had always wanted to join the Air Force, but it took forever to get my husband to understand! Now I am being told that I have to wait even though everything is done!!! Complete BS and Unfair!!

Sorry, I really had to vent.

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, Home Care, Med-Surg,.

Sorry for all the issues you are dealing with. I wish I had something more profound to say. I guess considering the Med Surg should still be an option, ofcourse when you deploy it will generally be adult medicine anyway. If you can get in without the speciality I believe you should really consider that. Write a list of the pros and cons on all the options before you and see what you come up with. I am an Adult NP(MSN, 5 yrs NP experience with a total of 13 yrs nsg) but I am going in the Army 66H(med surg). I have not done med surg hospital nursing in forever but I was willing do accept this because ALL pros outweigh the cons for me. My choice wouldnt be for everyone. But in the AF is it possible to go in without the speciality then later change to the NICU but atleast you will get in, have guaranteed pay and benefits and also gain more nursing experience. Best wishes to you in whatever path you choose!

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You actually can CROSS TRAIN after two years. I just had my welcome interview with my chief RN down here at Lackland and you can apply to cross train to another area after two years time on station.

Remember it's up to the chief RN at your assignment where you'll be working. I have eighteen months on a cancer ward at Duke and guess what - I'm on the BMT unit at Wilford Hall. Hang in there.

(I know what you're saying about med-surg. When you don't like something, you don't like it. I understand completely - but it might mean the difference in guaranteed pay and bennies, and sitting where you are praying and stressing out about money and jobs. I know it sucks. I've been there. But you might have to suck it up and put up with something you hate for a while in order to get what you want/need. You can do anything for twenty four months if it means steady pay, housing paid, groceries paid, and not worrying about health insurance.)

I agree with hopefularmyNP completely. They're right on track.

I know the whole process is frustrating. I went through it. Recruiters suck, the process stinks, and the whole thing is more than disheartening. It took me over a year to get in myself.

Yesterday I was driving home from the base and I thought, gosh, this is the best decision I've ever made. I'm still frustrated (I'm still working on getting my pay fixed, but it looks as though that's well on its way to being corrected) - but I really can't remember being this happy. I have a job, I have amazing benefits, and the pay is, when you get down to it, crazy money. It's worth it - trust me, if you really want this, it's worth it.

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Specializes in L&D, mother/baby, antepartum.

Though I do love and would love to do OB, I don't have any actual clinical experience in the area so can not get commissioned to that area.

You may want to follow-up with your recruiter about this. I work L&D and luckily came in as a qualified OB RN (46N3G). I work with plenty of RNs that came into the AF with absolutely no OB experience. Some had med-surg, some oncology, some worked in clinics, then even more had no experience whatsoever. If you commission as an OB RN and don't have experience you will be put through training (Perinatal Nurse Course) which is a 6 week course held at Langley and Lackland. If you would do OB you need to talk to your recruiter because I'm sure there are spots available,

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I can feel your frustration! zomg! lol. wow. It took me about 6-7 months from my decision to being sworn in and going to obc to the army. The paperwork is truly a pain. However, keep your options open. In the military in general if you pigeon hole and specialize in one area its not good overall. So I know you wanted to be in a particular area, you may find yourself out of your comfort zone and really enjoy it!

Thank you for your willingness to serve your country. I kick myself sometimes for not going AF .... just kidding..... no... maybe I'm not. lol

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Specializes in EMT, ER, Homehealth, OR.

Can understand your frustration, but I am confussed by what you wrote. Do you have experience as NICU nurse? The way your post was written it does not appear that way. It appears that you are working as a Home Health Nurse. If there is only 5 slots for recruiting NICU nurses they could have been filled by nurses who applied in the last FY and had to wait until the new FY started in Oct. If that is the case you and you want to do NICU in the AF apply now so you can be picked up for FY 11.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Pediatrics.

Jeckrn:

I do have experience as a NICU nurse and am now doing post-NICU pediatric home care. I care for infants that are discharged from the NICU and can only go home if the family has nurses/home care. My babies have trachs, vents, feeding tubes, and other issues that they need extended nursing care but are no longer in need of Level III Hospital NICU nursing care. I have been going through this application process for over a year and my application should have been completed and sent in over this past summer. However, the last recruiter I had was basically doing nothing for me because he was so busy with all the new grad nurses he had. So my file was sent to this new recruiter who is basically trying to get everything done cause the last guy didn't! But because he didn't get sent my file until October (and he knew about me before this!), everything has been pushed back and messed up. He thought he could get me in as a NICU specialist, but then found out that they had filled all the slots for this fiscal year. And because of the situations my family and I are facing, I really can not wait almost another year for this.

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Specializes in EMT, ER, Homehealth, OR.

Understand your frustration. I would also be more then just a little frustrated also. Does the AF have a waiting list for the next FY? I know that is not what you want to here, but if they do and you want to go AF you might have to try that route. Now that you know what can happen keep on the recruiter. It almost sounds like the first recruiter knew that there was only a slight chance that you might get 1 of the 5 slots and that is why he went after the new grads. Recruiters work on numbers they get in, not to the board. This is one reason why they work on the packages were they get the phone calls, visits, emails etc. from and sit on the ones they do not here from until they do not have any proactive prospects. Sometime this summer the quota for NICU nurses will come out, keep on the recruiter and find out how many there are. Have you looked into the Navy & Army? They might have what you are looking for. Since your first post did not state that you had worked in a NICU I hope you understand why I was confused about your NICU experience. Good Luck, hope things work out for you.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Pediatrics.

I am prior service Army MP and did not and would not consider going that route again. No interest in Navy. No offense to any particular military branch, but Air Force is the way I wanted to go!!!

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

rnpic,

I just want to say congrats on loosing the weight! That part got lost in all these posts and I know what a huge accomplishment that is!

I'm prior service Army too. I know exactly why you are choosing AF.

I am still waiting too. There are at least 13 people that I've noted are in our shoes. I hope it all comes through for all of us, because you can see how bad we all want it. I hope I get to meet some of you folks. I think you all are awsome!

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Specializes in psych/medical-surgical.

At least we can't complain about not having time to think about our decisions...

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I'm prior service Army too. I know exactly why you are choosing AF.

Why? I can understand after being in the Army why you might choose another branch, but why the Air Force instead of the Navy? Seems as though the Navy hospitals would be in "better" locations (close to the oceans / beaches).

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