Joining the AF - need help

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I am waiting to hear if I have been selected by the AF and if so, will go to COT in August. I graduated from nursing school in Aug of 2006 and began working in the OR in Sep 2006. The recruiter told me that normally a person needs 1 year of experience in the OR to come in as an OR nurse, but with 6 months experience they can get a waiver and I can come in as an OR nurse.

Now, However, they are telling me that I may not be able to come in as an OR nurse, but may need to come in as a Med-Surg nurse. I told them that I did not want to join as Med Surg, only OR. Likewise, the reason I waited to join was because I did not want to go to the NTP program because this would mean more time away from my family.

Anyway, here are my questions:

1. Should I go in as OR or as Med Surg?

2. Is the OR a good field to be in the AF as a nurse?

3. Are OR nurses deployed a lot in the AF?

4. Are Med surgs deployed a lot in the AF?

5. For those who have experienced civilian nursing, do they like nursing better in the AF or civilian world?

6. Will the OR serve as a limitation when trying to acquire a Masters in either a nurse practioner program or CRNA program?

I have so many questions because I have no concept of the military. The recruiter cannot help because they have not worked in the medical field. Any advice or help given will be much appreciated. Thanks, Lisa!!!

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
I am waiting to hear if I have been selected by the AF and if so, will go to COT in August. I graduated from nursing school in Aug of 2006 and began working in the OR in Sep 2006. The recruiter told me that normally a person needs 1 year of experience in the OR to come in as an OR nurse, but with 6 months experience they can get a waiver and I can come in as an OR nurse.

Now, However, they are telling me that I may not be able to come in as an OR nurse, but may need to come in as a Med-Surg nurse. I told them that I did not want to join as Med Surg, only OR. Likewise, the reason I waited to join was because I did not want to go to the NTP program because this would mean more time away from my family.

Anyway, here are my questions:

1. Should I go in as OR or as Med Surg?

2. Is the OR a good field to be in the AF as a nurse?

3. Are OR nurses deployed a lot in the AF?

4. Are Med surgs deployed a lot in the AF?

5. For those who have experienced civilian nursing, do they like nursing better in the AF or civilian world?

6. Will the OR serve as a limitation when trying to acquire a Masters in either a nurse practioner program or CRNA program?

I have so many questions because I have no concept of the military. The recruiter cannot help because they have not worked in the medical field. Any advice or help given will be much appreciated. Thanks, Lisa!!!

1. Wait the few extra months and come in as an OR nurse you won't regret it. Your recruiter is going to push to get you to come in before the end of September so he/she can count you as part of this fiscal year's recruits.

2. I have been an AF nurse for over 5yrs and I haven't met any unhappy OR nurses, but I have met a lot of unhappy med-surg nurses.

3./4. OR nurses are probably deployed a little more than med-surg nurses, but in general the deployment cycle is still 4 months every 18 months and that doesn't mean that you will go every 18 months. I have been in 5 yrs and still haven't deployed, but that is highly unusual being an ICU nurse. Normally, you don't have to worry about deployments for the 1st year that you are in.

5. AF nursing is great! It has its drawbacks, but you will truly appreciate it after working in the civilian world. The pay isn't that great until about Captain which would take you about 3.5 yrs to make if you waited until Oct to come in.

6. Yes the OR will be a limitation; you can earn your NP on your own, but to go school full-time thru the AF AFIT program at least a year of clinic experience is required. Also, you can earn your CNS in perianesthesia nursing at USUHS.

Here is what AFIT says about nursing requirements for AF CRNA school.

A minimum of one-year nursing experience with acute physiologic monitoring is required. Intensive care nursing experience with knowledge of ventilators, hemodynamic monitoring, and use of vasoactive drips is preferred. Nursing experience in the operating room, post anesthesia recovery room, neonatal and pediatric ICUs, and emergency room are also considered. Experience must be obtained within three years of anticipated school start date.

Again I highly recommend not coming in until you get the one full year in the OR if that is what you like doing. Good Luck.

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Thank you so much for the information. This helps me a lot. I will take your advice and wait so I can join as an OR nurse. Hopefully, though, they will accept my waiver and allow me to join as an OR nurse according to my original plan.

One last question, if I go in as an OR nurse and later decide that I would like to get some clinical experience as a Med Surg nurse, would it be hard to transition to this?

Thanks again, Lisa.

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I will going in in Aug. for COTS also. I just got my acceptance letter from my recruiter. I am excited.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
Thank you so much for the information. This helps me a lot. I will take your advice and wait so I can join as an OR nurse. Hopefully, though, they will accept my waiver and allow me to join as an OR nurse according to my original plan.

One last question, if I go in as an OR nurse and later decide that I would like to get some clinical experience as a Med Surg nurse, would it be hard to transition to this?

Thanks again, Lisa.

It would probably be much simpler to get a part-time job in a civilian hospital to gain med-surg experience.

I imagine that your talk with the recruiter might go something like this....."I am sure Lisa that with your OR experience the chief nurse will just put you in the OR after NTP training, if not it is pretty easy to get transfered to the OR."

Be careful!!! Here is the link to the generic USAF OR nurse job description. The AFSC code on your contract will have to say 46S1 or 46S3 (OR nursing AFSC) if it says that you are a 46N1 or 46N3 (general/med-surg nursing AFSC) then no matter what promise they have made you will be entering in as clinic/med-surg nurse.

By the way the new USAF policy is any nurse with less than 1yr experience go to NTP. I don't know of any of the nurses getting this waivered.

Most healthcare recruiters are great, but they don't have the slightest idea how nursing in the AF works.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
I will going in in Aug. for COTS also. I just got my acceptance letter from my recruiter. I am excited.

Congrats:balloons:

Do you have to go to NTP and have found out where your assignment is yet?

I will be heading to USUHS in Maryland for graduate nursing school next Friday.

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Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
...

By the way the new USAF policy is any nurse with less than 1yr experience go to NTP. I don't know of any of the nurses getting this waivered.

Most healthcare recruiters are great, but they don't have the slightest idea how nursing in the AF works.

When I last spoke with an AF nurse recruiter he clarified that while the AF requires one year...that it is one year AF and that any experience civilian and under ten years, or five years, it is a ration of two to one.

It takes two civilian years to count for one AF year of experience, accordingly.

He told me that time in civilian over five years experience counts for one year to one year AF/Civ.

Good luck OP!

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
When I last spoke with an AF nurse recruiter he clarified that while the AF requires one year...that it is one year AF and that any experience civilian and under ten years, or five years, it is a ration of two to one.

It takes two civilian years to count for one AF year of experience, accordingly.

He told me that time in civilian over five years experience counts for one year to one year AF/Civ.

Good luck OP!

Gen,

I kinda of see where you are going, but I think this is the formula you are talking about (Keep in mind this was a few years ago, but this formula has been used for many years):

For Rank: Civilian RN experience counts for 1/2 credit for the first 6 yrs and 1 for 1 after that.... i.e. 1 one year civilian RN experience cuts 6 months off the time to make 1Lt; 7yrs civilian RN experience would qualify to come in as a Captain since it normally takes 4yrs to make Captain as a brand new nurse.

One year RN experience civilian or AF in any AF recognized nursing speciality will allow you to come in with your speciality identifier in that field as long as you meet all the other requirements. This formula hasn't changed.

Just clarifying....the whole process can be quite confusing...

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Gen,

Are graduating with your MSN/NP in June?

Does that mean you will be joining the Army as NP? If so I would really like to hear how being an NP in the Army is.

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Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
Gen,

Are graduating with your MSN/NP in June?

Does that mean you will be joining the Army as NP? If so I would really like to hear how being an NP in the Army is.

Hello,

My degree is MS in nursing and is a generalist entry degree. The core is clinical nurse leader and nurse practitioner but, the nurse practitioner certificate is a post MS one.

I was planning on pursueing the post ms cert in NP and the Army said that they preferred all their NPs to have a couple of bedside years prior to taking that role.

HOWEVER, since I do plan on taking the post MS NP completion and the Army nurse corps did say that once I am in for a few years bedside, (did not put that in my contract, not a worry) that I could transfer after I am licensed as an FNP to that role.

What is in my contract is that I want to take the Community Health or ER nurse training and waived the critical care/Operating room/psychiatric nursing.

I've heard that the community care is a four month course in Hawai'i. :)

There is time...

Gen

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
Hello,

My degree is MS in nursing and is a generalist entry degree. The core is clinical nurse leader and nurse practitioner but, the nurse practitioner certificate is a post MS one.

I was planning on pursueing the post ms cert in NP and the Army said that they preferred all their NPs to have a couple of bedside years prior to taking that role.

HOWEVER, since I do plan on taking the post MS NP completion and the Army nurse corps did say that once I am in for a few years bedside, (did not put that in my contract, not a worry) that I could transfer after I am licensed as an FNP to that role.

What is in my contract is that I want to take the Community Health or ER nurse training and waived the critical care/Operating room/psychiatric nursing.

I've heard that the community care is a four month course in Hawai'i. :)

There is time...

Gen

Oh...poor you having to do a 4 month TDY in Hawaii....lol

I will be thinking of you in Hawaii when I am in Maryland freezin my behind off and studying like crazy..:lol2:

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Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
Oh...poor you having to do a 4 month TDY in Hawaii....lol

I will be thinking of you in Hawaii when I am in Maryland freezin my behind off and studying like crazy..:lol2:

Ha wtbcrna,

Although who knows when and if I'd be there! I promise to post when.

Firstly I have to make it through the heat of the dog days in Texas, (knocking on wood and I will believe it when I am there).

Congratuations on your studies.

Gen

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