Frustrated and REALLY need to VENT right now!!!

[fitRNpic]

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. :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.

[midinphx, BSN]

I was stationed Miesau Army Depot, West Germany for 3 years. Around that area is alot of military bases, army and air force. We spent alot of time at Ramstein AFB (it is the base across the autoban from Lanstuhl, big hospital). We army folks were always green with envy (LOL) about the living conditions of the Air force! We lived in multiroommate barracks. They lived in apartments with their own bathrooms. We ate at the mess hall, they ate at the dining facility. We always felt lucky when we got to eat at a real nice place like that! I also remember as an enlisted private that the brass in the Air force talked to me like a real person.

[aglages]

We army folks were always green with envy (LOL) about the living conditions of the Air force!

I'd heard the same things about the difference in living conditions between the AF and Army enlisted personnel, but not anything negative about officers and nurses specifically. I would think that AF and Navy nurses have very similar working and living conditions....it is just a matter of hospital location and medical facilities. Anyone hear about any differences in those?

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

I'd heard the same things about the difference in living conditions between the AF and Army enlisted personnel, but not anything negative about officers and nurses specifically. I would think that AF and Navy nurses have very similar working and living conditions....it is just a matter of hospital location and medical facilities. Anyone hear about any differences in those?

I am AF and have been stationed at a Navy hospital for the last 1.5yrs. The Navy and AF hospitals are very similar. Each service has its quirks, but for some reason the Army seems to be the most different of all the military medical branches.

[midinphx, BSN]

Don't get me wrong, I think all the services are worth joining. I liked my time in the Army. I have only been to a couple medical facilities. Luke AFB is nice (but no ICU for me to work at). An army facility I went to in California once seemed chaotic, but they were very nice. Lanstuhl is someplace that I hope I get to go back to sometime. It's a big beautiful hospital in an amazing location.

[aglages]

The Navy and AF hospitals are very similar.

Thanks wtbcrna! Is the hospital that you're currently stationed at by the ocean? How about the nurses....do they seem as happy as AF nurses or as though they wish they'd gone with the AF instead? Do you secretly wish you went Navy (just kidding)? I don't mean to hijack the thread.....but while people are waiting for their results....

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

Thanks wtbcrna! Is the hospital that you're currently stationed at by the ocean? How about the nurses....do they seem as happy as AF nurses or as though they wish they'd gone with the AF instead? Do you secretly wish you went Navy (just kidding)? I don't mean to hijack the thread.....but while people are waiting for their results....

National Naval Medical Center where I am at is just outside of DC, so it isn't far from the ocean but it isn't right on the ocean either. Truthfully, you really can't tell the difference most of the time between Navy and AF nurses. The Navy does their assignments a little different than we do, are a much bigger medical service, they deal with Marines, and sometimes deploy on ships other than that there really isn't a lot of differences. I will stick with the AF. I might decide to switch to USPHS when my committment is up this time, but that has more to do with promotions and not having to PCS as often than anything else.

[aglages]

Thanks Wtbcrna! I figured there wasn't much difference. One last question: Will your AF time transfer over to the USPHS for purposes of rank and retirement?

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

Thanks Wtbcrna! I figured there wasn't much difference. One last question: Will your AF time transfer over to the USPHS for purposes of rank and retirement?

Yes my time and rank will transfer just like it does for officers of any uniformed branch. There is a little more to it, but it is relatively straight forward as an officer to transfer to another branch as long as you don't owe anymore time.

[carolinapooh, BSN, RN]

I grew up in Navy hospitals and clinics and am prior active AF and wtbcrna is pretty much correct - I can't see much difference in Wilford Hall and in what I remember of Naval Medical Center San Diego or Naval Hospital Pensacola or Portsmouth Naval, other than that WHMC is, of course, massive in comparison to what those facilities were when I was a kid.

But also like wtb, I'll stick with the Air Force. I toyed with the Navy, but after a lot of thought I realized the idea of a year long cruise on the USS Ronald Reagan (an aircraft carrier) really didn't do too much for me - but if the AF had said no thanks, I would have immediately trotted over to the Naval Health Professions recruiter.

Personally, though, I love the smell of jet fuel in the morning (smile) and the sound of a C5 (a HUGE cargo jet) flying over my house on a Saturday afternoon. LOVE IT.

[kato10]

I know for NPs the AF can request for an overstaffing if they have already met their requirements but still have recruits. I would definitely ask if that is an option. Otherwise, I think I agree with an early post....take the job either Med/Surg or OB and wait the two years to try and go to the NICU. Congratulations on the weight loss!!

[aglages]

I toyed with the Navy, but after a lot of thought I realized the idea of a year long cruise on the USS Ronald Reagan (an aircraft carrier) really didn't do too much for me

Thanks carolinapooh for the information. I probably have some incorrect information, but I had heard that the Navy doesn't assign female nurses on it's ships other than the hospital ships.....and there is a long "volunteer" waiting list to get on those. I know they have Docs, but had heard that medics (or whatever the Navy term is for enlisted medical personnel) take the place of nurses on ships. Was I misinformed?

[carolinapooh, BSN, RN]

Nope, that's not correct, because the scope of practice of a corpsman is VERY different from that of an RN - and also because women serve everywhere men do except on subs, and even those days are numbered d/t changes in Navy policy.

Historically, the no female thing was accurate, but that was even before Vietnam.