Joining the US airforce as an RN with BSN, greencard holder

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I'm 23 years old and planning to join the US airforce reserve as an RN with a BSN degree. I graduated back in the Philippines last 2013. It has been a year now since I passed NCLEX-RN. However, I am not yet a US citizen but I am a permanent resident/green card holder and would be eligible for applying US citizenship next year Nov 2017. My recruiter told me to enlist and the airforce reserve could help me obtain my US citizenship faster. My questions are:

1. If I enlist on a certain job (medical), will they allow me to re-enlist and join as an RN and commissioned officer after I've received my US citizenship oath assuming that I've completed my basic military training?

2. OR should I wait and gain RN experience in a hospital until Nov 2017, become a US citizen and join as an RN commissioned officer in the airforce?

I only have 8 months experience as a homehealth nurse.

Help me please!

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Specializes in ICU.

I'm asking this out of true interest, nothing more. I promise. Is there something wrong with the Phillipinnes? I see so many people from there wanting to come to the US.

I will admit I am very ignorant about this country. I always thought it was a beautiful country. Is it full of poverty? Are nurses not paid well there?

I truly want to know. I see more people as nurses from the Phillipinnes wanting to emigrate here than any other country and I've been wanting to ask this question for quite some time. I always thought that country would be awesome to visit and go to. But maybe it is more of a poverty torn country.

Is it possible to be enlightened here?

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Moved to the Military Nursing forum for more replies.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
1. If I enlist on a certain job (medical), will they allow me to re-enlist and join as an RN and commissioned officer after I've received my US citizenship oath assuming that I've completed my basic military training?

2. OR should I wait and gain RN experience in a hospital until Nov 2017, become a US citizen and join as an RN commissioned officer in the airforce?

If your goal is to be a nurse in the Air Force, definitely option 2. Enlisting in a branch of the military IN NO WAY guarantees a pathway to commissioning. Plus you would have a gap in your nursing practice because you will not work as an RN if you are enlisted, and that might not make you an attractive candidate for commissioning. The military is highly competitive.

But another problem: if you graduated from a foreign school, it will not have the CCNE or ACEN accreditation required by the military. Your only option will be to get an MSN from an accredited US school; otherwise your education will not qualify for any branch of service.

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I'm asking this out of true interest, nothing more. I promise. Is there something wrong with the Phillipinnes? I see so many people from there wanting to come to the US.

I will admit I am very ignorant about this country. I always thought it was a beautiful country. Is it full of poverty? Are nurses not paid well there?

I truly want to know. I see more people as nurses from the Phillipinnes wanting to emigrate here than any other country and I've been wanting to ask this question for quite some time. I always thought that country would be awesome to visit and go to. But maybe it is more of a poverty torn country.

Is it possible to be enlightened here?

Philippine nurses are way underpaid especially. who work in private hospitals. Most of them earn a minimum of 8-9k pesos per month equivalent to 170 U.S. $/month. Same 3 days, 12 hours shift in a week. As what I observed, my colleagues are trying to gain experience and currently looking for jobs abroad. There was a nursing bill increasing basic salary for nurses to 25k pesos / 532 $ a month, already passed congress and then the president but was not signed by the latter due to unfortunate reasons. Hopefully our newly elected president will show concern to nurses and raise their current salary. As a US-RN myself, I'm fortunate to be living here in the US. However, I am offering help to my colleagues who are looking for greener pasture even if that means leaving the beautiful country, Philippines.

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If your goal is to be a nurse in the Air Force, definitely option 2. Enlisting in a branch of the military IN NO WAY guarantees a pathway to commissioning. Plus you would have a gap in your nursing practice because you will not work as an RN if you are enlisted, and that might not make you an attractive candidate for commissioning. The military is highly competitive.

But another problem: if you graduated from a foreign school, it will not have the CCNE or ACEN accreditation required by the military. Your only option will be to get an MSN from an accredited US school; otherwise your education will not qualify for any branch of service.

My credentials was evaluated by CGFNS. But If that would be the case then I will be enrolling myself by next year for Masters. I just have to make sure it is accredited by the CCNE and ACEN. I've been planning to join the airforce reserve because I think they could help me with continuing education and become a nurse practitioner besides serving this country. Well, I guess I have a change of plans now. I'll talk to my recruiter again. Thank you so much for your reply!

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
My credentials was evaluated by CGFNS. But If that would be the case then I will be enrolling myself by next year for Masters. I just have to make sure it is accredited by the CCNE and ACEN. I've been planning to join the airforce reserve because I think they could help me with continuing education and become a nurse practitioner besides serving this country. Well, I guess I have a change of plans now. I'll talk to my recruiter again. Thank you so much for your reply!

Be sure you are talking to a healthcare recruiter, NOT an enlisted recruiter! The enlisted recruiters will tell you pretty, shiny stories to get you to sign up, but they don't know about healthcare professions at the officer level. Good luck!! :)

Edited to add: I mispoke and should have said CCNE *or* ACEN, it can be one or the other for Air Force.

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I'll take note of that. Thank you so much, Ma'am!

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

Pixie is right. Get RN experience, finish citizenship, get a qualifying degree, and commission as a nurse. Enlisting will set you back years. Good luck.

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Specializes in Respiratory.

Hi Lan Alyxandre,

How have your application went? I hope everything went well for your. I would love to hear your development in US force as a nurse. Please kindly share. Thank you.

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Hi xuale01! I'm still waiting for my U.S. citizenship interview appointment. Hopefully I would pass then become a U.S. citizen. After then I would enlist in the U.S. airforce as a nurse. thanks!

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

You can enlist right now as a medic without U.S. citizenship. One of my old coworkers did it as a Columbian national.

Nurses are officers and commission. You need to be a U.S. citizen to commission as an officer.

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