LTACRN

I have not personally called this number, but it was a number I saw posted. It is not really what you are asking about, but maybe someone there can point you in the right direction... American Airlines is taking doctors and nurses to Haiti for free. Please call 212-697-9767.

Yes, my recruiter did tell me that I could be eligible when I got to my duty station. So, how do I re-apply?

Thank you for that information Raki!

What I can tell you is that I too was a mechanic and gave 5 years reserve time all the while attending nursing school. I applied for the stipend while I was in nursing school and I was still performing my monthly duties with my reserve unit. I initially was going to stay reserves and apply for a flight nurse position which limited the bases I could transfer to. I got married to an AD guy and decided to go IRR with the reserves and apply for AD. I had to pay back all of my stipend and had to go through the whole process just like everyone else. During my interview, the Chief Nurse told me that you do get a little bit of an edge being prior service........but I am not sure that always holds true. As far as the stipend...yes, if you are awarded the stipend you are guaranteed a reserve position upon graduation but I am not sure if it even applies to the AD side. As far as bases are concerned, my husband and I are now on the same set of orders since we are mil to mil and they have to place us at a base that offers both of us a position......so it is way more difficult and will be increasingly so based on any advancement we make in our careers. He has a specialty and I am an ICU nurse, so that limits us to only certain bases if we want to remain stationed together. I know some of the bigger hospitals have civil service jobs that you can take for a certain time frame(usually 2 year contracts).......usually when a unit is deployed, but they don't have the ART positions available like the reserve side has. I hope this helps a little.

Don't worry about the weight issue just yet. They will have to set you up for MEPS which is the military entrance processing system physical and that is when it will matter, but that may be 2 months away. Go ahead and contact a recruiter and they will usually come to you or maybe a nursing school close to you where you can meet. The paper work is lengthy and mind blowing at best but don't let it overwhelm you. If you have any questions with any portion of the paper work, flag it before you fill it out incorrectly and contact the recruiter for help. Any portion of the health screening you answer yes to, you will have to have extensive medical documentation to support (so, this is something you can begin working on ASAP). It is a long process and will take you about a year to complete. So, stay focused on your current life and do get a job. I wouldn't recommend informing your new employers of your AF application process, because there is always a chance you won't get selected and you don't want to miss out on other employment opportunities. I hope this helps a little.

I can only speak for myself, but we are all talking AD. Reserves are vastly different. The reserve unit in which you will be assigned selects a Reserve COT date for you, which is only a two week course. On the AD side the COT date is selected by a selection committee once the boards review and select your application.

AF for me as well and I too have already been accepted.

I can tell you all about it. I was AF traditional reservist and went to nursing school and decided to go AD. Are you currently in the reserves now? You can actually apply for a stipend that will guarantee you a slot in NTP once you complete nursing school. What questions do you have? What base are you currently attached?

I didn't get any of my choices, but they had to base everything off of both my ICU experience and my husbands experience since he is AD as well. They will look at what you choose as well as their need and any other factors that may play into the decision. I am still very happy with the choice they made for me.

I was told the same thing by my recruiter just yesterday. I have never heard of this before and I am prior service, so anyone with any information on this will help me out as well.

What are you wanting to haggle?

I work in an LTAC with vent/trach patients that are critically ill and our hospital is the last stop for most of them. We go out of our way to make them as comfortable as possible whether it be with food, holiday decorations or simply companionship. I look at some of the hospital policy as the minimal you should do because some people wouldn't do that if not in writing. For someone that goes out of their way to make a change for the better in someone's life without being told to do so has a special place in heaven.

I was wondering about these. They look silly but the comments seem to be pretty positive. I will at least go try on a pair. Thanks for the insight!

Great! Congrats!!! It always works out.

I started a facebook page USAF COT 10-03 for those of us planning on going in March......

What was the problem with the patient? Why were they sent to the ER? Lovenox is weight based, so the dosing should have been established based off of weight of the patient and not just some personal preference. Lovenox can also be given in a bolus for acute coronary syndrome, but it appears that the pre-filled syringes were sent to the floor. It is safe to give a patient two injections, we do it all the time with lovenox, insulin injections and even immunizations. The alternative would be that the patient would receive a sub therapeutic dose of LMWH and subsequently develop a DVT. Just because the nurse has more years in the hospital, doesn't always mean they stay up to date on important issues. Know where to go in your hospital system to find out the appropriate information and whenever in doubt call the pharmacist. Hope this helps.

I work in a long term care setting and about 90% of my patients have a PEG tube and the others usually have duotubes or NGT. These patients get a multitude of medications some of which HAVE to be mixed with warm water to somewhat dissolve them before administration or they would certainly clog a tube. I routinely dilute my medications before administration using tap water unless it is contraindicated in such cases as an electrolyte imbalance. Administering medications using only sterile water is absurd. We as individuals have multiple bacteria in our digestive tracks and by using sterile water you are doing nothing more than creating an extra expense for a patient. It is great that the research is being performed, but there are far more serious issues that need to be researched.

Ok, first let me tell you this is coming from someone that is prior enlisted but the commissioning thing is all new to me. I too will be attending March COT. If there is any way for you to begin the task of purchasing uniforms it is helpful. The uniforms are very expensive if you try and buy them all together. The fabric is horrible and they never fit right so it would be great to attempt to get at least your blues altered. The mess dress is your formal attire and is required and will have to be altered and with everything else going on during COT (as far as class work and needing to study) you really don't want the hassle of trying to run around getting alterations when you could be trying to de-stress or just study. Your rank either has to be sewn on or pinned. I recommend the sewn on because it is more comfortable, but the pinned on will due until after COT. Some bases require brass/ shinier where some require subdued/ dull and that also depends on whether or not you are wearing BDU's or ABU's. I wouldn't recommend buying BDU's because they are about to be unauthorized for wear and you will only be allowed to wear ABU's. As far as having a vehicle, I am bringing mine with me because it is not that far of a drive for me and my next duty station is not far either. You don't have to have a car because everything on base is within walking distance and I am sure someone with a car will be more than willing to give you a lift if you need one. You will need a computer, but they will supply you with one if you don't have your own and you can live without a printer. A printer is nice to have if there is something pressing you need to print out, but you can always go to the base library and borrow theirs at a small fee for paper. There is going to be a lot of memorization work and most people like to copy and fold it to place in a pocket for reading in between class times. Family is always nice to have at graduation, but it not required. I know some people can't afford the travel expenses and believe me there will be other opportunities for family to see you in uniform for other ceremonies, don't sweat that. I am not a male, so I can't give you a whole lot of advice about that but my husband wears boxer briefs instead of boxers for comfort in his ABU's and physical training gear and black ones for wear in his formal wear because they are thin and lines can show thru. Socks can be green/tan for ABU's, black/navy for formal and white for PT. I hope this helps a little...

The bonus was probably reduced due to the influx of applicants secondary to our lovely economy. Either way, the military is a great gig and will afford you way more opportunities than most civilian jobs! So, whether it is the bonus, loan repayment, education, travel or sense of family......it is worth every second.

mt nurse: Your recruiter passes all your information off to the new recruiter coming into that office, so someone is working for you. If you haven't heard anything yet, it is because they have not considered your package. When they do consider your package they will let you know ASAP if you were or were not selected. The waiting and not knowing is the worst part.....Just breathe and try and relax.....the hard part is done, now the aggravating part begins.

I received word today and my application was in the November COT board selections. I am an experienced nurse with prior service.

I just received word today......March COT then to Eglin ICU.