midinphx

I was surprised by some things when I came in. Things I wish I'd known - you are expected to work 3 12hr then 4 12hr shifts every other week. They rotate every 3 months from nights to days. Meetings are mandatory and often on a day off. The patients we generally care for are not as sick and messy as civilian er. Mostly young healthy people unless you have a high veteran population you serve. Basically, clinically you will rarely be challenged as civilian er/ICU are. I came in as ICU. My first station was San Antonio and that has a good level of care. It sounds like you're looking more for location - what are you looking for? I have to say the military needs always come first. I'm just PCS'd to Okinawa Japan. I've been to England and Illinois and California. The world is big and this has been an adventure. Not always fun nor what I want - but then neither was civilian nursing. The challenges are very different. There are so many opportunities for growth and learning. also as an ER nurse - you could consider flight nursing (more ambulance transport in back of a cargo plane). AE (aeromedical evacuation) has 4 active duty locations and is something unique and special in the AF. let me know if you have questions.

I'm an active duty flight nurse. We interact quite a lot with the reserves and guard units. It is very competitive to commission, yes. Directly into reserves or guard as a flight nurse, most do want either ER or ICU, but it never hurts to ask and try. reserve and guard flight nurses are not the typical 1 weekend a month and 2 weeks a year. Flight nursing demands more time to stay current. And keep in mind there is quite a lot of training to start and they are on active duty orders for months and have to go to the trainings away from home. Officer basic training in Alabama. Then survival school (SERE) water survival (2-3 weeks) in Washington, and then flight school (2 months) in Ohio. Then you go to your unit and complete your training. this is not a light commitment. But it is very rewarding.

I was army AD and now AF nurse. I have to say AF has been difficult to learn how to manage my army tone! I’m to abrupt. I want to assign the job and get into it - talk later. In the AF there is a lot of talk! LOL. Just expect it. Make your wish list where you want to go and be. Think of your family as well since you mention them. I’m at Travis - but not at the hospital because I’m AE. The area is Uber expensive and housing of quality is hard to find - but it seems this is everywhere. With a family you can apply for on base housing - but there is often a long wait. deployments - most med/surg nurses don’t deploy very much and the numbers have definitely dwindled since Afghanistan pullout. I’ve gone 6 times in 12 years as ICU then AE, but none in the last 2 and I’m itching to go! Deployments last 6 months usually. And many are tax free which is amazing. Expect unit hours on Panama schedule with 3 then 4 - 12 hour shifts alternating every week. Usually 3 month rotations from days to night shift. Extra duties and meetings/trainings also. I was civilian nurse for 14 years coming in - there are good and bad on either side. Right now, I am so very glad I’m on this side as active duty AE nurse - I’m happy with the green grass here.

After OTC (no longer COT), there is Nirse Transition Program (NTP) for nurses with under 1 year experience. It’s an excellent program and sets you up for success in the AF! It’s TDY before your first duty station, San Antonio and Travis are often ones that you’d stay at. Most nurse go to an inpatient unit to gain experience. Don’t expect a clinic. (the hours were a shock to me at first, which is why I’m putting what I consider worse case scenario. ) hours - expect 3 12 hours sifts one week then 4 the next. Yes, there are often extra meetings and trainings that you’ll have to attend in addition to these hours. You will also flip every 3 Mo this from days to nights. You will have some random extra duty at some point - try to get involved in what interests you rather than getting something you don’t like.

I’m at Travis, active duty. I know nothing of reserves. I do know you’ll have to go through: SERE, water survival, initial flight nurse qual (1 month) and flight training unit (1 month). Then a couple months on mqt in your unit. Other reserve nurses in training that I’ve known are basically on orders for months to get through the process.

I’m 5’2”. I am AE. Not only the reach test but that drives a waiver which takes time. It is completely doable.

Waivers take a bit of work - I suspect it was easier to reroute you rather than work the waiver. I’m active duty on my second AE flying assignment. Generally, one should expect to serve 2 AE assignments- can be flying or in a ground support role such as TPMRC and a multitude of others. There are 4 active duty flying squadrons (Travis/Scott/Kadena/Ramstein). ANG has 9 or 10 and AFRC has 18 I think. In AD, few nurses are accepted straight into AE (those few have ER or critical experience. Nurse apply from their duty positions - they come from all areas - working with their chief nurse guidance after at least 2 years time on station. AE is not an overlooked entity in AD, the force is just balanced with higher numbers of reserve squadrons. Guard and reserves are not traditional 1 weekend a month and 2 weeks a year people. AE requirements are much more demanding and no way can they get what they need done in that time. Most Guard/ Reserve members I know treat it more like a second job with huge demands. They stay in AE much longer in years than AD, but there are definitely some AD that have been doing it much longer than just 2 assignments! It’s been slowly changing and becoming a place one can spend much more of a career in.

Easy waiver for depth perception. Don’t let that stop you. I have a height waiver (5’4” is the lowest without waiver)

I’m active duty and came in with 14 years ER and ICU. In active duty, it is basically calculated as a nurse gets half the time credit to rank. So I cam in like I’d been a nurse 7 years and was a captain. I would not have wanted to come in higher than that, as it is a huge disadvantage in military understanding. And I had prior service as enlisted army. The reserves and guard have way different rules when it comes to rank. It may be what position they have open for you to fill at the unit you are with. Good luck on your journey!

You can totally do this! I was prior service army - 20 yr break in service - came in at 42 as RN with 14 years experience. I will serve at least until 59 yrs old with no trouble. I came in ICU, now I’m flight nurse. I’ve have 5 deployments in 9 years because of my specialties. Most don’t go as much as I do - but it is what I wanted and pursued. you will get paid at COT (now OTS I think). Your first move is paid. I worked my civilian job up to 1 week before I left. if you want to go to a busier inpt hospital put those down on your wish list. San Antonio, Travis, elmendorf... big MTFs are dying out in the Air Force - we tend to send real cases downtown. Best way to make your package stronger - high GPA. And a certification.

Not sure this will help - but when I came in AD I expected results in November by thanksgiving. No word came. ... until March! None. In March I found out I was going to COT in May. So no news is good news! Good luck and be patient. Everything about the military is a tat of faith and patience.

I’m AF. I was prior in army. I chose AF because it always seemed nicer than army. It’s not. Quality of life is a vague term. So we have nicer bases and dining facilities and gyms. That does not equate to better quality of life. I don’t spend off duty time on base. I don’t eat at the dining facility at home station. Deployed - yes, having nicer living quarters is nice. But Stuff is not what helps morale. AF is highly competitive all the time as rank is sought by all members. It impacts how we take care of each other. Work life balance is upside for me. People who put family first are seen as not as committed. In most hospitals you work 48 this week and 36 next then repeat. And there is additional training and requirements that often are on your own time. Wow, this sounds very negative. I’m still staying in despite the hard stuff. I believe in what I get to do. I’m on my 5th deployment in 8 years. Deploying is something I would never get anywhere else. These are the times that are the worst for me but have given me the greatest job satisfaction in my career (RN x 24 years) For me the tough stuff is something I think people need to hear. Come in with your eyes wide open. Come in because you have the heart to serve and you just know it’s where you belong.

I’m an active duty flight nurse. The process probably hasn’t changed much from when I did it. The process is on the AF knowledge exchange. You should speak to your chief nurse as you’ll need his/her endorsement. Start coordinating getting a flight physical - that tends to slow the process. Training- SERE and water survival are tdys prior to going to FTU. There are 2 30 day course for initial qualification. The first is Fundamentals, then the flight nurse initial qual. It was pretty intense. Loads of studying. After those 2, you go to duty location (Japan, Germany, Scott Afb, Travis Afb (squadron moving from Pope) Expectations of flight nurses right now is 2 assignments in AE.

Pixie, your IP now? From ER to IP. Awesome. I started as ER, went ICU, then AF. 2 ICU deployments. Now flight nurse. Was the IP at Lakenheath AFB and really got a lot out of it! Never asked for that job, but I have been told to embrace whatever I’m given and I have been lucky to like most challenges! You and I have had similar paths. And I remember you from when I started my AF journey. Now I’m going on my 5th deployment. ?

You really need to consider NOT enlisting now! If you can ensure 2 things - can you become US citizen? And is your BSN from accredited school? Once you enlist - you will be held to serve the position you are going in with and will have a hell of a time getting changed until your contract is up. If it’s only 2-3 years and that helps gets US citizenship - it may be worth it. But you will not serve as a nurse as enlisted. No way. There are programs to pave way towards commissioning at will take years. if you choose to continue and enlist as planned, please serve what MOS you have with a happy heart. Thank you for wanting to serve!

I joined the army at age 18. My goal was to get the GI Bill and college fund then go to college. Things didn’t go exactly as plannned... diversions along the way. Cut to now - I’m a nurse. I am in the Air Force and and serve as a flight nurse. I went from being an E-1 army private to a AF Major.

I was prior service military before coming in as a nurse. I thought I knew what to expect. Nope, lots of surprises. Your time is rarely your own. That's what it felt like at first. AF can work you 6 days a week. Same pay. They can switch you nights to days and back at their whim. Ok, so it's supposedly mission essential - but most times it's seems to be bad leadership. I was ICU nurse coming in. That was my goal. I was 42 years old with 14 years as a nurse. I was repeatedly asked what I wanted to do when I "grew up". Really. You must always have the next goal, even when this is your goal. Lol ICU in the AF is not like ICU as a civilian. You have for the most part a very stable young and healthy population. There are few real ICU units left in AF. San Antonio and Travis are your best bets to be in a real ICU. Those are 2 big hospitals with crazy political games. At first you will be immune to the games as you learn your new position. But after a couple of years, you'll see it. this was a huge decision for me. There have been ups and downs. I thought about leaving when the time came. But despite the stuff I don't like, I love being a part of something as great as our AF.

Hiya Luna! Yeah, it's been awhile. I've been really busy here. There's a tradition of going crazy here in ones last few months of fitting as much in as possible. So I've been traveling every bit of time off. I leave England next month This is my 2nd assignment as an ICU nurse and I've been granted the opportunity to leave my identifier field of ICU even though it's still critically manned. I've been pushed away from bedside - which is a mixed bag. Learned loads, but do miss patients. I find that AF nurses do not often have the critical patient load I was used to as a civilian anyway. When deployed we do get real patients, but then they have to scramble to get their skills back quick. next stop - Scott AFB, IL

You will not be stuck at the bedside forever as an icu nurse in the AF. I'm AD ICU. I'm not bedside right now. They needed me to do something else, much to my dismay originally. Lol. Do do expect to stay ICU bedside for 2 assignments (6-8 years) and depending on your rank and how leadership,of the unit is falling. Typically, once you reach major, you start moving away from the bedside and into more administrative roles. Its funny, most of us are resistant to moving away from the bedside - so maybe it would be a good fit for you.

This is a really old post. Bonus change based on needs. But you will not be eligible for any other bonuses if you take an accession bonus.

You are not going to get a real answer to this question. There is no standard answer. It varies by base, unit, mission needs and manning. Sounds really harsh, but true. I came in full qualified ICU RN. My first unit worked what they called panama - but it was too random to be panama - you should be able to predict when you'll work with panama. But I have found every unit I've been on will randomly change your shifts if you don't have a request off granted. I've worked one month with 0 days off - but that was really situational, but they can do that. If you are assigned to an inpatient unit - Expect 7 shifts every 2 weeks. With all those extra duties and training and PT on your own time. If if assigned to a clinic or not 12 hour shift place - expect 10+ hour work days 5 days a week. Also, be aware that even though you come in as a specific nurse, they will use you as they need you. even though I'm ICU, I now have a day job in an office. I'm the infection preventionist now (it's karma kicking me after all my arguments with IP in the past!). I have weekends off for the first time in over 20 years. I liked my 12 hr shifts. But now I can plan my life! I get the actual holidays off, which I'd never cared about. I will also point out the amount of time I've spent away from "home". I got lucky and deployed within 9 months of coming in. I did COT then. another unexpected surprise of 2 day notice for a 7 week training. Then 3 weeks in CSTars. 7 months in Iraq with a month detour thru Afghanistan. Supposed to be 18 months at home before next bucket for vulnerability - I got 14 (with surgery recovery I was off the list a bit). In that 14 months I had 2 tdy training - one for 7 weeks and anothe just a week. I got tasked for 3rd deployment 2 days after I got back to leave in 9 months - my commander cared about his people and refused to let me go. Instead I sent to SOS for 7 weeks. Lol. Then I got my golden ticket and PCSd. I'm in England. No challenge clinically, but a great AF learning opportunity. But I am still off to classes. 1 month done in June, back in Texas again ironically. I have a bonus item of a tasking to Slovenia for a training mission. Then I get to go back to Baltimore for 3 weeks. Live become an excellent packer! too much info, I know. But it isn't just the number of shifts you work to answer your real question.

The opposite. Critically manned means that there are more open iCU slots than nurses to fill them. It's a good time to apply for fully qualified iCU. Be more competitive and get the CCRN.

We are still considered critically manned in ICU.

If you want to be a flight nurse, do NOT come in as an ICU identifier. You will not be allowed to reclassify from 46n3e to 46f for at least 2 assignments. We are critically manned in icu.

Joining the military to pay off debt may prove to be a poor decision. It's not a last choice. Military is a way of life and a deep commitment. Don't join for money.