Insight about Nursing in the AF?

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Specializes in Acute, orthopaedic.

Hi all,

I just have a question or two about joining the air force and going into nursing, and I was hoping you guys could help me! I have been a CNA for the past few years, and I just graduated with a BS in health promotion and I have accepted a position with AmeriCorps to go work in Alaska for a year in public health. I went for a BS in health promotion bc I have always enjoyed the opportunities you get to educate patients in acute care settings, and I was thinking of getting certified as a health education specialist but I am scared that would take me away from the bedside.

I was wondering if my degree would help me out when joining the air force, and if it is possible to go all the way to nurse practitioner? I'd love to work as a NP in med/surg. Any advice or information you guys have for me is much appreciated. Thanks!

Also, sorry if this is not the appropriate board, I wasn't sure where else to turn. My mind has been racing with all I am going to be doing the next year, and it helps me to have a game plan in advance. Lol.

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Well, I'm not sure if the AF has a role similar to your current role. To be a nurse in the AF, you must have a BSN. You either apply for NTP (new nurses with less than 6 months experience) or for FQ (more than 6 months experience). It is extremely competitive at the moment, the selections were just released for this year's NTP. The minimum GPA requirement was 3.5, they took about 40 total new nurses for NTP and that's it across the country. There are ROTC programs/scholarships but with the military downsizing, even that's not a shoe-in or guarentee and it's still competitive. My advice, if you are truly interested in this, is to contact a healthcare OFFICER recruiter to discuss options and requirements.

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Specializes in Acute, orthopaedic.

I stopped by the office today but I didn't see anyone inside =/ I am thinking that at the end of my AmeriCorps service, I will just use my education grant to get my ADN from a community college and see if that will help me anymore with joining. Thanks for the tips, though!

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Just be aware that the AF will not take you with an ADN, it MUST be a BSN if you want to be a nurse and officer. If you want to enlist as a medic you could, but there is NO guarantee you can then become a nurse and officer, and you would not work as a nurse.

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Specializes in Acute, orthopaedic.

I thought my credits from my current BS would contribute towards entering as an officer? I was hoping to do that, and then use the GI bill to go in to nursing school and work my way up to NP.I will have to see if I can find a healthcare officer recruiter around here next week.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
I thought my credits from my current BS would contribute towards entering as an officer? I was hoping to do that, and then use the GI bill to go in to nursing school and work my way up to NP.I will have to see if I can find a healthcare officer recruiter around here next week.

A BSN is required for military nursing. If you join with your other degree and an ASN, it won't be as a nurse, or even necessarily as an officer. A significant number of enlisted personnel have four-year degrees of some sort - it's not an automatic ticket to commissioning.

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