Guest43184

Elmendorf AFB (Anchorage, AK) is also a joint venture AF/VA but not quite as large an integration as Nellis.

Operating Instruction - basically the rules/guidelines that military follow. When you go to COT you'll have OIs that will dictate your behavior, schedule, etc. For military hospitals these are the guidelines we adhere to (or change as needed) to comply w/JCAHO and other inspections, patient safety, etc.

Nellis AFB (Las Vegas, NV) is also a hospital w/NTP.

I've been on an AF Med/Surg floor (no longer on that unit) where this EXACT thing happened. I completely agree with you that skills need to be up to par to care for these patients but (yes...but) OIs caused MAJOR issues for the floor. I am a very competent nurse and feel comfortable providing care to a variety of different patients but OIs are often stumbling blocks. I've updated a few OIs and presented them to both of our nurse councils, medical council, surgical council, P&T, etc....and over 1 1/2yrs later they are still "on the agenda" (i.e. not finalized). I am not trying to make any excuses regarding this matter but when it comes to these experiences - it's up to you to make a change. Take it up the chain and update your OIs. The floor nurses don't have the same monitoring capabilities (at least not in my hospital) as the ED/SDU/ICU. Our medication OI has been updated (yet not approved...hahahahaha...bad joke) to reflect that patients receiving an IV pressor, etc wait an hour and receive an oral counterpart before admitting to a floor b/c floor nurses CANNOT push those pressors. Sure, in a deployed situation the rules change completely but JCAHO, etc. Regarding the rotations to civilian facilities - that's exactly what we're doing right now. So far it's slow going but we're improving our working relationship w/a large trauma facility. On a side note - our IV med issue regarding transfer from ED to floor was largely impacted by an ED nurse who transferred a nurse to floor w/o updating VS and the pt stroked upon arrival to the floor. Every hospital has interunit issues but we need to look outside 'eating our young' and remember it's all about the patient. I'm not a huge fan of the team-building training we do here but the tenets are simply patients first, attitudes/egos/drama take a backseat to patient care. Regarding your line experience - I've only spent a short time on the line side but I'd move in a minute if my career allowed. I love the AF and I love being a nurse but the 2 don't play well together - or at least not in my limited experience. Are you prior enlisted or line officer crossover?

Just want to suggest that you request Travis (or even Wilford Hall) as a first assignment. I'm at Nellis, for a number of reasons, and it's been good to me but not a great learning experience as far as nursing goes. I've heard great feedback from my friends who've done NTP at Travis (or are stationed there) and same goes for WHMC. Depends on what you're looking for nursing-wise but Nellis is a medium-size facility combined w/VA (like Elmendorf)....we have challenges b/c of the combined AF/VA venture that are different than other military facilities but then again...it's all relative :) Good luck w/your decisions!

It's not too bad really. Everything seemed overwhelming to me at first but there are people that will help and you'll be able to get it done :)

AF required follow-up application info AFTER arriving at first duty station. It may have changed but I like to get the word out early b/c my recruiter forgot that part and one of my friends did not get her repayment. I did have to feel out an application w/the recruiter but essentially it did nothing until I completed all of the info that wtbcrna posted.

The link that wtbcrna posted has the correct contact information for the ADHPLRP program manager at AFIT. The person who coordinated mine was Patricia Faustman and I think she may still be the person to contact.

Make sure to read the fine print and do some research online, etc. When I came in I could choose loan repayment OR bonus. I did read somewhere that the AF might offer both soon (as the Army does) but I don't know any details...your recruiter is the best source of info for that. The $$ is taxed though so just be aware w/the loan repayment that it may not cover as much as originally explained. I would HIGHLY recommend making copies of EVERYTHING you sign or are told by the recruiter (and do get things in writing). I did opt for loan repayment and I had 30 days to get everything done once I got to my first duty station...and I came across that information 'accidentally'. My recruiter never mentioned that I had more paperwork to do for AFIT for the loan money (after I'd completed the paperwork w/him). One of my friends on my unit never received that info and NEVER received her loan repayment...she took it up through the proper chains and was told "tough luck". She actually separated Sept '06 and had planned on staying in if she could get the loan situation straightened out. Just know that if it sounds too good to be true, it likely is. Like I said before, I've had a good experience thus far but it's been like anything else...I've gotten out of it what I put in :)

I'm currently an AF nurse w/2yrs active duty time. I'd be happy to answer some of your questions if I can. Overall my experience has been positive albeit not what I expected. I think I expected a little bit more forward-thinking nurses and have learned that that's not always the case. I came from a great nursing education/community and was shocked by the outdated paper charting, old equipment, etc. I have grown immensely from learning to make do and improvise and paper chart...hahaha...btw I despise paper charts...would love to have automation but we're nowhere near that goal at my facility. The clinics are automated and someday I believe our inpatient side will be as well. Anyway those are minimal issues. The working relationships have been great, the skill/knowledge base is younger than many civilian facilities as nurses are *currently* moved out of clinical areas as they make rank (although the goal is to maintain bedside experience as nurses progress in rank). If you have specific questions, send them my way or feel free to PM. *PS - take EVERYTHING your recruiter says w/a grain of salt...really liked my recruiter, felt okay going in....and found out much of what he told me was misleading....my husband has been in the AF for 14yrs and warned me that all recruiters are liars...hahaha...guess mine was too. Btw recruiters are simply that...people in place to RECRUIT/market the military so talk to some AF nurses if you can or even visit a hospital and follow a nurse.

We don't have it yet but we've put in a purchase package for a new SiteRite and the sherlokc is part of it. I would love to hear feedback from anyone who's used it as it'll be a first for us.

Understood, thanks. I think overall I knew what you were getting at, just a little hypersensitive lately about this b/c I don't live in the most supportive community. My husband is over there now and I'm set to go as soon as he returns home...just part of the deal. Regardless I respect nurses who work to improve our working conditions and pay. Take care :)

I'm a military nurse (also PICC certified) and I don't get paid anything to place PICCs...I do it on my days off and before/after my shifts...for free I also work full-time in the hospital so no "combat pay" here Seriously though, combat pay (a whopping $225/month) is available in very few deployed areas and for what we get paid otherwise...the sacrifices we (and our families) make...and the commitment required of us...is no joke. So the fact that "Even military get "combat pay""....is a weak justification for your statement.

USAF...seriously, I came on active duty after my experiences downtown The shortage here is insane and I came from a community w/MUCH better hospitals/resources (I was spoiled I guess). Just remember that Vegas wasn't built for hospitals/schools....majority of the $$$ is still in the service/entertainment portion and medical is catching up....

I'm an ADAF nurse and will offer a bit of my experience. I was a direct commission (i.e. not ROTC) so during my recruitment process I was able to choose 1 of 2 tracks (med/surg or OB). That DID NOT mean that I was going directly to med/surg or OB - just basic interest. Generally AF nurses who work in OB stay there for quite a bit so if a person wants anything besides OB he/she needs to pick med/surg. Anyway...we have new nurses in all areas of our hospital but generally majority start on med/surg (this has varied depending on our chief nurse's preference). The main thing that I had to get a handle on was the "needs of the AF". I really, REALLY HATED hearing that early on (I've only been at this a couple yrs...) but it's basically mgt's way of explaining certain decisions. I've submitted to it much more in the last year and my career is taking some great turns but you get out of it what you put it :) My husband has been ADAF for 14yrs so I've seen a different side of it w/him (non-medical) and didn't really know what I was in for. Regardless I wouldn't trade my experience for anything. Part of military life is making sacrifices and some of them seem to make no sense and frustrate me to no end BUT it's been good for me. I still maintain certain long-term nursing plans and hope to fulfill them in the AF...if need be I would separate to fulfill my goals and come back AD afterward. As far as credit for civilian time...for the most part that (at least from what I've seen) applies to rank and sometimes placement within a hospital/clinic. So much of what happens in my hospital is based on the chief nurse and his/her philosophy.

If you're applying for a direct commission with the recruiter there is a specific format that will go in w/your package. I'll include the basic info on here that mine required but if you're looking to put one together yourself I would recommend using the resume wizard on your computer. I've used mine in the past (w/small modifications) and never had a bit of trouble. I did take one in to my recruiter but ended up having to reformat the info to fit the document he used. NURSE APPLICANT PROFILE Name Address City, ST Zip Phone ACADEMIC EDUCATION Institution/City/StateDegree Year Graduated CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS PERSONAL ACHEIVEMENTS PERSONAL/OUTSIDE INTERESTS WORK EXPERIENCE

Typical AF day depends on where a person works (clinic, inpatient, deployed, etc). I work on an inpatient floor where shifts are 12hrs (days/nights). Clinic hours are shorter but Mon-Fri. I think I worked about 182 scheduled hours last month, then on top of that we have staff mtgs, training, etc on our days off. Staffing also dictates how much we work...when we're short nurses we work more but right now we're relatively fully staffed. Patients on my floor are infants - elderly, active duty, dependents, retired, VA, telemetry, etc. We're called a "multi-service unit", which is basically med/surg and then some. I had a little family background w/the AF (uncle went to USAFA, grandpa served a short time, other family in other branches). My husband is also AF so we're a dual-military couple. Hope this helps a bit :)

1. I am currently an Active Duty Air Force nurse. Nursing was a 2nd degree/career for me (1st was BSBA, worked as university fundraiser). Originally I thought I wanted to attend medical school but discovered the patient care (more hands-on, incredible variety in nursing, etc) I was interested in was better filled by a nursing degree. I always wanted to serve, give back, etc...joining the AF was a natural step for me. 2. Distribution of nurse age varies greatly. The hospital I work in does not really have an older vs younger distribution. 3. I'm relatively young (just turned 26) and I wanted to be a nurse because I love people, science, health, well-being, and I want to contribute and leave the world better than I found it :)

I've heard very similar stories about UMC. I was very interested in working there as Omaha had 2 different Level I trauma centers and UMC is the only one we have here. I've also read the stories of UMC's trauma center nearly closing its doors 3yrs ago b/c of physician's concerns of the increasing liability risk. Obviously they managed to work out a plan but many facilities here have a reputation for needing more staff. I think LV health care needs time to catch up to the RAPID growth as it doesn't even seem the infrastructure can support the need... I know I'm a bit scattered in my reply but I do feel so much empathy for the nurses, and various providers, working their tails off every day here

I had a VERY similar experience at UMC! I read your post and I can't believe we weren't in the same interview. Good luck to you :)

I found the same thing when I first moved here (as far as hospitals not wanting to train new grads). Different contracts were involved in order to work at hospitals here and it was challenging trying to figure out where I might want to work. The bottom line was that I didn't want to sign on to something that I'd regret down the line (the shortest contract was 1yr for new grads at the hospitals I'd looked at). I came from Omaha, straight out of nursing school, and the hospitals there felt light years ahead of the ones here. I tend to think that a lot of that is b/c this city hasn't developed based on 'normal' city growth - so health care, education, etc aren't always first and foremost. Coming from a city where new grads were relatively embraced and training programs were well-established, I expected at least a bit of that here...especially considering the shortage. I've heard so much about nurses being overworked here b/c of the huge need but the process of me applying and actually getting interviews here was long and a little tiring. I practically had to beat down the doors of recruiters at 2 hospitals and my applications was lost 4x at one HR and 2x at another (including the online form). All I can offer is not to get too frustrated :) For me it felt like the doors were closing and I was being pushed in another direction so I pursued a 'dream'. I had been looking into a military commission before moving here and that's the route I chose. I do have friends who moonlight at UMC, St Rose, Mountain View, Desert Springs, Summerlin, agencies, home care, etc. I've heard good things about St Rose overall. There are some hospitals here that have a reputation for not being good to their people but I can't speak from experience. Good luck to you in your hunt!! On a side note, my brothers are at CSU...Go Rams!

I'm ADAF and just went through this entire process. If I were in your shoes I'd do some further investigating in regard to there 'not being preceptor slots till Oct' maybe your recruiter can clear that up for you. When I was commissioned the AF didn't commission people based on preceptor spots and I know of multiple preceptors at my facility...and the next NTP (nurse transition program) starts before Oct. There are ongoing NTP sites at various bases w/varying numbers of students at any given time. I would definitely recommend asking that your app go before the board again :) As far as being an AF nurse...it's been good to me in the short time I've been in. I'm not prior service so I can't speak to that but I work w/4 nurses I can think of offhand that were prior enlisted. My COT class was half prior enlisted so I think most find it to be a positive change. Family support varies based on your supervisor/coworkers, etc but I think it's pretty good overall. I suppose this is a given but as long as people remember they're in the military and that family can't always come first (or at least be realistic) I don't see too many problems. I'd recommend looking into it more and trying to follow an ADAF nurse for a day or just try to meet one in a similar situation. I'm happy to give my opinion but I don't have children so my take is a little different. Good luck!

you can contact a recruiter at any time to get more information about military nursing. i'm an af nurse and can tell you that medical, dental, jag, chaplains are all direct commission for us. basically the rated/line officer trainees had to earn their commission at ots (or via academy/rotc) while we went through training as commissioned officers. as far as the recruiting process...once i applied and things were in the works i had to go to meps for my physical and wait for the board to meet for a result. i was offered a commission and accepted. at that point i just had to find an officer to perform my commissioning ceremony. i'd recommend talking to a recruiter sooner rather than later so you can sort out a timeline for yourself down the road. good luck to you :)

NTP is a program for nurses w/less than 1yr work experience. It's sort of an extended orientation. As far as being seen by RNs in the clinic...not so much. I was in Family Practice today and the nurses role is mostly behind the scenes, unless a pt requests some extra instruction or something else comes up. Lots of the work is pseudo-case mgt, putting out fires, coordinating care, etc. The techs can do so much and the providers are generally the next step so the nurses have a different role there. You right about clinical pt care being different than having your own pts but the bottom line is that you're NEVER alone. I felt so much more comfortable after I saw all of the experienced RNs around me asking for assistance/clarifying orders, care, etc....just nice to have a 'team' to work into. Taking 6 pts is a bit daunting at first but it really comes down to time mgt on a med/surg floor. The VA side is a pretty consistent population as far as demographics. The AF side includes men, women, AD, retired, VA, peds, etc. I do well w/organizing myself till a pedi gets thrown into the mix....love kids but the sick ones are tough (I'm a bit of a softie when it comes to the lil ones) and sometimes the parents are tougher. You will learn a ton w/the hands-on in the VA. It's a great place to pick up skills and see a multitude of pathophysiologies...pretty sick population on the floor. Don't be afraid to make mistakes...just be sure you learn from them WHEN you do. I don't know anyone who hasn't made mistakes, nor do I anyone who doesn't worry about that. Anyway I hope all is well and you're looking forward to your time on the floor :)

Good for you finishing your nursing degree! I hope you get a ton of different experiences throughout your time w/the VA. I'm currently on AFMSU and will be here a while. I'm in NTP (nurse transition program) and have been able to rotate through a ton of areas (ER, ICU, OR, lab, clinic, etc). My first assn is 3A though so I'll be up there till something changes. I hope you're able to get a schedule soon so you can plan your life too. I do think it'd be hard to start in a clinic of any sort (as a tech or nurse)...then again I guess it depends on what a person wants. I like the hands-on pt care and have so much to learn that I'm thankful not to be in a clinic yet (b/c initially that was where I was supposed to go). Are you considering AD at all or going to stick w/civilian nursing?