Psychiatric Nurse - AF or Army

Specialties Government

Published

Specializes in Mental Health.

Background info: RN for 2 years, finishing up BSN in August this year. Almost all experience has been in psych, both inpatient and outpatient. Husband is Air Force Reservist (13+ year in total, 6 active and 7+ reserves).

I have been in contact with my local Army healthcare recruiter, and waiting now on the AF recruiters to get me information. I want to join Reserves either as a psych nurse, or join with the intent to continue education and become a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. I feel like Army had better options for doing the NP route, but husband is pushing me toward AF (obviously). He claims Army will just deploy, deploy, deploy, while AF may not. I haven't seen this specifically in any of the posts, but I'm wondering about deployments as psychiatric nurse or NP, in Army and in AF. Husband does not want me Active, as his job will not be guaranteed wherever I get stationed. He's a civilian on a military base right now, as well as the reserves. I'm not as concerned with deployments as much as he is, but wondered if anyone could provide info on the psych part of nursing in both branches.

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