Military Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Specialties NP

Published

Hey everyone, I have been an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner for the last 5 years, the last 2 being in Critical Care. I am really wanting to join the Air Force or Navy as an ACNP, but information is scarce.

I need to know if anyone here has been an ACNP in the military, what your duties were if so, and how you went into the military. My Navy recruiter wants to dual credential me as a Critical Care BSN bedside RN and as an ACNP. The Critical Care RN is to "get my foot in the door."

It may still be worth it even if I have to do some bedside work because I want to serve, but I do not want to be at the bedside the entire time and lose my skills. I already do central lines and intubations. I will be learning PICC lines soon and hopefully arterial lines. One of the neurosurgeons is looking to possibly credential and precept me for ventriculostomy insertions, if we can get enough opportunities. Obviously, I would not be doing much of this at the bedside.

Anyone have information or know someone who does?

Specializes in Outpatient Psychiatry.
I understand I am looking at working at the bedside, but let's be clear about this. If you have not been an NP, you do not know what it is to be an NP. My bedside RNs are making the same money I do, and they are responsible for 2 critical care patients. Their work is more physically demanding, to be sure. However, they are not nearly as responsible for the outcome to the patient as I am. They are responsible for 2 patients. I am responsible for 32 patients, and I make the same money. I do intubations and central lines and new admissions. If something goes wrong, the RN is off the hook and the MD throws me under the bus. I have a TON of difficulty getting extra money from other jobs. I cannot get extra money from my regular job. Granted, I will not get OT in the military. I understand that. This is all about perception, though. Honestly, as much as I thought the same things when I am at the bedside, I know what it is to be on both sides of this. The RNs have many more advantages to their position than NPs do. I will attempt to work on being used an NP, but if it doesn't happen, I will take my opportunity to work on management concepts and principles. I will work on getting a doctorate so I can teach in the future. The only reason I would attempt to work as an NP is to not lose skills, but that is pretty much it.

Why do you work for RN wages? I've made more this year than three years cumulative as I did RNing.

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.

Btw, I didn't know brain ventricles were ostomied. Is that pressure monitoring?

Pressure monitoring but more importantly to release pressure from hydrocephalus induced by a tumor or brain bleed.

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Yes, it is. A lot of people know it the way I wrote it, but we technically say EVD for External Ventricular Device.

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Got autocorrected. The above was correct. External Ventricular Drain.

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By the way, on this 15th Anniversary of 9/11, I want to say bless those who lost their lives in the cowardly attacks. Bless the officers and firefighters, my fellow health care workers, and all servicemembers who responded to the call to defend this country. We live in an amazing time of technology combined with Medieval Barbarism. If anyone on here is reading this and thinking of serving the country, thank you for even making the consideration.

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.

OP, do you know if Acute Care Nurse Practitioner is recognized as an official Nurse Corps job title in any branches of the military? I was told in the past that it's not listed as such (the same way as FNP and PMHNP are).

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It is NOT recognized in any branch. You go in as a Critical Care RN or Emergency/Trauma RN or Flight RN.

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.
It is NOT recognized in any branch. You go in as a Critical Care RN or Emergency/Trauma RN or Flight RN.

Then personally I wouldn't do it. There are enough opportunities in civilian settings and the VA system to work as an ACNP to the full extent of our training including managing critically ill patients and performing invasive procedures.

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The AF does use ACNPs and is the only service to

actually utilize them as providers. I have been an ACNP for about 8 years. We practice primarily in the ICU.

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I'm active duty Air Force.

If I were credentialed as an NP, there is no way on this planet I would let the military also recognize me as an RN. You're giving them too much opportunity to stick you in an RN billet (where every service has a shortage - don't believe the hype - they created a huge mess for themselves in the last round of drawdowns) and not care that you're an NP. Then you'll spend your time fighting to get the service to recognize that you have that NP and came in to use it.

But that's just me.

I deployed with an FNP that was put bedside as an RN - the needs of the military come first. She did throw a major girl scout tantrum which did not endear her to anyone.

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So... what was the resolution? I'm interested.

Also, if you just wanted to serve, have you considered reserves?

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26 minutes ago, KaneToo said:

So... what was the resolution? I'm interested.

Also, if you just wanted to serve, have you considered reserves?

Well, I got diagnosed with mild asthma during the process, so it all got shot. No meds needed to manage it, but it was enough. No active duty. No reserves.

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