Is NTP for 2012 still an option

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Hey everybody, I'm brand new to this forum, so sorry if I am repeating something that has been said before. Anyway, I graduated Jun 2010 from my nursing program. After graduation and passing my boards I started applying for air force nursing. My recruiter was retiring at the end of the year, but he helped me get through a lot of the process. I filled out the entire application he gave me turned back in, went through MEPS and got medically cleared for service. I was told after MEPS that board meeting for new grads was pushed back until spring of this year. In the meantime I got a job at a SNF because I wasn't finding work at hospitals anywhere. He retired at the end of december and I called the recruiter office in Feb of this year. The new recruiter told me that the air force was not accepting new grads for this year and that I needed to have a year of acute care experience before I could even attempt to apply. The recruiter was very brief and not helpful at all. That crushed my dreams and I decided to shelf those plans until I had some hospital experience. I have now worked over a year at my facility and I was perusing these forums and it sounds like the air force is still doing the NTP for new grads. Did I get shafted by my recruiter and could have applied or do I still have no chance until I have a year of acute care experience? Hopefully someone can answer my question. Has anyone else had this kind of experience with their recruiter? Is it too late for NTP for 2012? Thanks

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Specializes in EMT, ER, Homehealth, OR.

I do not know about the AF but the Army is now requiring 2 years of experience. It would not be suprised if the AF no requires some type of experience.

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Hey everybody, I'm brand new to this forum, so sorry if I am repeating something that has been said before. Anyway, I graduated Jun 2010 from my nursing program. After graduation and passing my boards I started applying for air force nursing. My recruiter was retiring at the end of the year, but he helped me get through a lot of the process. I filled out the entire application he gave me turned back in, went through MEPS and got medically cleared for service. I was told after MEPS that board meeting for new grads was pushed back until spring of this year. In the meantime I got a job at a SNF because I wasn't finding work at hospitals anywhere. He retired at the end of december and I called the recruiter office in Feb of this year. The new recruiter told me that the air force was not accepting new grads for this year and that I needed to have a year of acute care experience before I could even attempt to apply. The recruiter was very brief and not helpful at all. That crushed my dreams and I decided to shelf those plans until I had some hospital experience. I have now worked over a year at my facility and I was perusing these forums and it sounds like the air force is still doing the NTP for new grads. Did I get shafted by my recruiter and could have applied or do I still have no chance until I have a year of acute care experience? Hopefully someone can answer my question. Has anyone else had this kind of experience with their recruiter? Is it too late for NTP for 2012? Thanks

Yes, and no. Your health professions recruiter is correct. There are less than 20 slots available for FY12 NTP and applications aren't due until June 2012...so there is no point in working applications right now when we have fully qualified specialists to concentrate on. If you want to get in, get at least 1 year experience and build up your skill set, certifications, references, etc. Even then, you have to compete to get in. I turn away dozens of NTP applicants each week, its just not an option right now. BTW: your dream didn't get crushed, you just have to wait a bit longer and fight for it. MEPS physical is good for 2 years. Good luck.

v/r

Sharky

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Thank you for the info. That at least gives me an idea about what to expect in the future. I will keep trying and hopefully land a hospital job soon. When I first started applying I was told that work experience in a skilled nursing facility would still count, but it had to be reviewed on a case by case basis. Now only acute care experience qualifies, (at least that is my understanding of the current situation with the AF) Thanks again for the replies.

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Sharky, are you an AF healthcare recruiter?

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(Y)et, (E)veryone know(S), it is against the forum policy for recruiters to actively recruit on here. v/rSharky

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hey sharky, i cant message anyone because i dont have alot of PM's. i would like to ask you a few questions since the Hawaii recruiter does not know some of the answers to some of my questions. is there a way to contact you off of all-nurses?

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