GuelnRn

It's not me but my family and friends who are having difficulty with my need to serve and possibility to deploy... they don't understand how I would risk being sent somewhere and leaving and putting everything on hold when as a nurse in California at a well known hospital is already a reality for me. Im just in a bind right now trying to do something I've always felt the need to with little support. The VA is actually a great idea and i recently contacted the nearest one's nurse recruiter but still waiting to hear back.

For any California Nurse reserves in the Air Force or Navy I would appreciate any input. I am a critical care nurse at USC and have a year and a half of ICU experience and half a year on telemetry. I have been working with two recruiters one from the Air Force and the other in the Navy and am at a cross roads... The Air Force has offered clinical nurse and the Navy is offering a 15k sign on bonus for critical care. I'm trying to decide which one to go for and plan on doing the minimum 3 years in the active Reserves and do the one weekend a month and two weeks per year. So here are my questions... 1. How do deployments work for each branches reserve units for nurses? Mandatory vs voluntary and for how long on average? 2. What is the minimum amount of years is the initial commitment? 3. What is the work environment like and the patient care? I hear it's mostly admin and nurses don't see much patient care due to corpsmen and medics 4. Critical care vs clinic nurse specialty? (I like the bonus but if I'm more likely to be ordered to deploy as a critical care nurse I'd much rather do clinic nursing. I don't mean to offend anyone about my concerns for deployment. I've wanted to serve out of nursing school as an active duty nurse when I was single but didn't get commissioned after a long process. Now that I have experience, I'm no longer single and long deployments would be challenging for my partner. I would love to deploy for shorter missions and whatnot but the thought of 9 months to a year is quite frankly daunting. Would really appreciate the help of those currently serving as nurse reservists!

Thanks to both of you i asked my recruiter but still waiting on his reply. How was SERE for you two?

Does anybody know about the commitment of a casf nurse in the reserves? Vona86 and eurosepsis?

It's still so difficult to imagine the schedule of a reservist flight nurse even with all this info. Do you feel like you'd still be able to work full time in your civilian job and still complete flight status requirements? I'd be willing to go part time in my civilian job if the reserve pay will help me maintain my current cost of living/lifestyle. I want to serve but everyone has bills lol

Vona86 you've been away from home since the start of COT 10/16?

I'll ask my recruiter if I could get both lol. Which of your training dates can be done at your home base? Vona86

My recruiter didn't get too detailed but he said 45k and student loan repayment was available vona86. I wonder if it's one or the other. My recruiter isn't available til Tuesday so you're my best source until then!

I have student loans. ALOT of student loans lol... Is there a better alternative?

Did you take the bonus for the position vona86? It's supposedly 45k for 3 years?

That's true it's just hard for leaving significant other behind if you don't have to vona86.

Wow it's been two years... glad it's finally all coming together now! I added you as a friend if you don't mind! In currently waiting for my recruiter for dates to interview with the chief nurse and I'm super excited! Any tips? Also, is there a way to break the training cycle if you can't do all of the training all at once? I'm in California and would be operating out of march Air Force base!

Vona86 I've been going through so many posts on here about recent accessions and you're seemingly the most recent. If it's not too much trouble can you break down your timeline from when you first contacted your recruiter to where you're currently to what you have left?

How did the interview go? I have mine beginning of June!

Vona86 how was SERE? Did you have to train jumping out of a plane to use a parachute?!