Air Force NTP

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Hello, does anyone have any information regarding the AF NTP boards. I was going to submit my package for qualified AF Nurse. I am prior service AFR NC Captian. Currently certified in ACLS, PALS, and BLS; working in a clinic instead of a hospital and was told that could not apply as fully qualified. The AF just had the NTP boards so now I have to wait until next year to apply.

Are you able to pm me? I have other questions. Would any (ER, ICU, OR) give a larger advantage over the other? Does any have more slots than the other?

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

I think all 3 have similar needs, but they vary from year to year; it's hard to predict which will be in highest need when you apply. I'd do ICU just because it opens up more opportunity later. OR can kinda pidgeon-hole you; you're only career move is really management or OR CNS. ER can do air transport (CCATT and TCCET), SOST (AF special tactics), and MFAST (mobile surgical teams), but it's not as common. Plus, the manning documents for most of these special teams literally call for an ICU nurse; ER is technically a back-fill for low manning. ICU nurses can literally do any special job and have more career flexibility in the AF in my opinion. That's why I as chose to do ICU instead of OR or ER when I applied for developmental fellowships as a young med-surg nurse.

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Thanks. I was thinking the same thing about ICU. Right now, it's hard trying to find ICU days at a level 1 or level 2. I might have to do ICU at a community hospital. I still plan to take the CCRN regardless of the level. I do not have time on my side. I need to be "on deck" by Oct. To fulfill 12 months by next Oct. I was also hoping to have 6 months before April boards and apply to that as well prior to the Oct. boards.

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If I can't get a job soon as an ICU nurse and get a job first as a PACU nurse, would it be good to take it? Would I be able to apply as an ICU nurse? I still plan to take the CCRN and get TNCC certified

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I think I may have figured it out. PACU is not considered a specialty. I don't think the AF would value it as much as ICU. I am still trying for ICU.

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

Yes, you are correct. PACU isn't an AF specialty. PACUs and day procedure areas are generally manned by med-surg nurses (un-specialized 46Ns) with additional training. I actually was a med-surg nurse who was sent to PACU and given extra training prior to becoming an ICU nurse. You don't get any specialty code to show that you got that training. Higher risk (or after hours) phase I recoveries are usually done in the ICU by an ICU nurse.

The AF should make PACU a specialty, but they likely aren't willing to invest the requisite time and money right now to create a centralized training program (as they do with ICU and ER). Current AF leadership believes that on-the-job training is akin to blasphemy. Hence, in order to create a new specialty code one needs the money to create a formal course (i.e. fly dozens of people across the country and put them up in hotels for months).

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So, if I did PACU, I would be brought in as a Med Surg nurse? I could get looked over or wouldn't catch the AF eye as compared to ICU, even with ACLS, BLS, PALS, TNCC certification and maybe CCRN?

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

Not to put you down, but I had all those certs (except CCRN), a 3.7 GPA, and 1 year of med-surg experience when I applied as an FQ non-specialized nurse. I was rejected the first time I applied.

PACU, step-down, or telemetry experience do not fit in any other existing AF specialty. Therefore, you are grouped in the 'non-specialized' cohort with the med-surg nurses. As such, they are free to put you in med-surg, PACU, step-down, or even an outpatient military clinic when not deployed. Nurses in this category are frequently shuffled around (commonly every 12-24 months depending on your location) between these roles.

Just to make sure you understand, there are 2 main applicant groups: NTP and FQ. NTP typically includes new grads and nurses with less than 1 year of full-time experience; they go to a 12-week new nurse training program before heading to their first base. FQ (fully-qualified) typically includes all nurses with >1 year of full time RN experience; FQ applicants compete only against others within their specialties (ICU, ER, L&D, OR, inpatient psych, NICU, or non-specialized). FQ nurses go directly to their first base after officer basic training (i.e. COT). There are additional restrictions on what sort of experience counts and how recent it must be; for example, non-specialized nurses must still have recent acute care (typically inpatient) experience.

It's not that you won't be looked at; you could certainly apply as a fully-qualified 'non-specialized' clinical nurse with PACU experience. It's just that you can't apply as an ICU nurse without 1 year of recent full-time ICU experience. I don't know the current recruiting climate, but there are generally fewer needs and more applicants for the 'non-specialized' clinical nurse group; it will be more competitive.

ICU nurses in the AF must be competent in a long list of skills that no PACU nurse would have. Competencies for us include ventriculostomies (EVDs), advanced hemodynamic monitoring (SWANs, CVPs, arterial lines, and flowtracs), rotaprone beds, titratable paralytics/TOF/BIS, and vasoactive drips. That's why PACU or step-down isn't accepted.

We don't do on the job training like civilians do. Our internal ICU training program is 1 year long. As an FQ ICU nurse, who won't have attended this course, you are expected to be competent as an ICU nurse on day 1 as if you had attended the course.

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Wow, this is good to know. We have a lot in common including the 3.7 GPA.

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What did you do differently the second time you applied?

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

Realistically, I didn't do much of anything different. I was like a 2nd or 3rd alternate the first time around; I didn't miss it by much. The next time I applied I had 6 more months of experience. I do think applying a second time shows a higher level of commitment.

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Hi Jfratian,

Thanks for all of your help. I wanted to give you an update. I am working full time in MSTICU (Medical Surgical Trauma ICU). It is a level 2, and will become a level 1 in February. I have worked with pts on CVVH. I am working on my AF packet and preparing to take the CCRN by January. I will get the TNCC certification in December. I will also try to get an age waiver. Any suggestions? I appreciate it.

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