Looking For Air Force Nursing Information

[bekah2232]

Hello, I am interested in Air force nursing and currently talking to a recruiter. But I was hoping to get some additional information from current or former military nurses. I went to a community college and earned my LPN part way through the program and worked as a LPN for almost a year at a long term care facility until I graduated with my ADN in December 2018. I then left the country to help a family member and worked on my BSN online. When I returned to the states I worked at the US space and rocket center as a camp nurse. I later got a job on a very diverse med surgical floor in October and graduated with my BSN December 2019. I was interested in military nursing but was told not to contact a recruiter until I finished my BSN in nursing. I tried to contact them in early fall because I was interested in NTP and have a high GPA but I have had a hard time getting my recruiter to respond I finally got in contact with a recruiter before the holidays and he said because I graduated in December and I am working at hospital I will have too much experience to qualify for NTP but can apply as a commissioned officer. I am interested in flight nursing. I asked if it was better to apply now as a med surg nurse or get experience in the ICU or ER first. My recruiter asked the one of the higher nurse recruiters who said it was better to join as med surg and that it would be easier to transfer over. Does anyone have any experience with this. I have been told by my dad who was Navy that recruiters aren't always truthful. If anyone has experience with flight nursing in the Air force I would value any advice anyone has about flight nursing. Also any advice about life in the air force. The good and the bad. Thanks in advance.

[Fly-T-Nurse]

On 5/24/2020 at 5:05 PM, mblm924 said:

So, I have been seriously considering joining the AF, but I tend to get mixed answers on the day-to-day.
I am currently working in a Level 1 Trauma Center. What’s it like day to day? I’m so worried they will send me to be like a L&D nurse and I don’t want to do anything BUT Emergency Medicine, like no interest in ICU either.

I had the exact same concern when I first spoke with a recruiter years ago (before I had my BSN and was actually ready to join but trying to figure it all out). You apply for and are selected for specific positions based on what you are qualified to do. Can't just go from being a civilian m/s nurse to being a military ED or ICU nurse. Must have at least 1 year of full time experience within the past 3 years in the specialty area you are applying for. Once you are in and in that specific department, you stay there until you either request to change departments (have to be allowed by your sending department and the receiving dept and then do a cross training deal), if you apply for and are selected to one of their advance practitioner programs, you do your time and get out, or you advance in rank and become eligible for positions like leadership. I specifically asked because when my husband had been enlisted as a tech in the many years prior, they would just put them in whatever department they needed them in. They all had the same basic tech training but then went to whatever department they told them to. He even went from an inpatient unit to the ED with little effort. I was clearly told that they do not do this with the nurses as they will only allow you to be in the area you're specifically hired for. It's more like how you go to a hospital and apply for an ED specific job. They don't just say "oh we'll take you but we're going to throw you in L&D where you have absolutely no experience". Only difference is you're applying to the Air Force in general instead of a hospital and instead of not knowing what department, you'll just not necessarily know what base you'll be at until the time comes. This has been further clarified/verified for us as my husband recently joined and that is how it is LOL.