Questions about the AF

Hi everyone,

I recently graduated (in June 07) with my ASN and I am working in a post anesthesia care unit. I am very interested in joining the Air Force eventually, but I have a lot of questions. I know before I enter the AF I need my BSN so I am going to work on that now. Being 25 now I may be 27-28 before I get that degree. What is the cutoff age to enter into the AF? Also, I have a lot of loans to pay off, is there a certain amount that they will pay off? (I have heard they will pay them all off which sounds way to good to be true) and will they accept my experience in the PACU when I go for my CRNA (which they will pay for as well?) Sorry for asking so many questions, I am just very curious. Thanks!

-Larry

Here is the USAF nurse anesthesia application instructions for this year. The instructions and number of slots vary some every year. I just started the program this year at USUHS.

GRADUATE EDUCATION

Nurse Anesthesia

Prepares clinical nurses to take the national certifying examination for CRNA and award of AFSC 46M3. Student placement will be either at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), Bethesda MD or the United States Army Graduate Program in Anesthesia Nursing (USAGAN) through the Bouve' College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA. Although prospective students can annotate a preference between the schools, attendance at school of choice cannot be guaranteed. Maximum duration: 30 months. NOTE: Nurses interested in applying for the Nurse Anesthesia program must submit an application to both programs no later than 1 July 2007. Applications/reference forms can be found online at http://www.gradadmissions.neu.edu/admissions/admissions.php (Northeastern University) and http://cim.usuhs.mil/gsn/contact/gsn_leadership.htm (USUHS). Click on "Admissions" for application/reference letter submission instructions.

A. PREREQUISITES

1. STATUS:

Time-on-station requirement: CONUS candidates must complete 24 months TOS as of 31 May 08. Overseas applicants must complete the standard tour length for assigned location as of same date less the allowable 60-day rollback.

2. RANK: 1Lt through Major

3. ACADEMIC/EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

a.BSN degree.

b.Cumulative GPA 3.0.

c.ACLS: Selects must present proof of current ACLS-Provider or Instructor certification at the time of application to the school. BLS required. See Atch. 3, para B. 10.

d.Biophysical Science courses/grades; strong recent academic foundation in biophysical sciences. Transcript(s) must reflect the following courses/grades at the time of application. The following undergraduate or graduate courses/grades are required (See Atch 3, para B.6):

(1) Organic or biochemistry course. (Preferably taken within the past five years).

(2) Undergraduate GPA-grades in the basic sciences are especially important. If overall science GPA is not 3.0, candidate may demonstrate science competence by taking either organic or biochemistry course within one year of start date and earning a grade of "A" or "B. Above academic requirements may be completed prior to departure on AFIT assignment.

4. STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES: Completion of all three sections of the GRE with a minimum combined verbal and quantitative score of 1000 and a minimum analytical score of 3.5 is required for nurse anesthesia. GRE scores cannot be older than 5 years at the time of projected school start date.

5. EXPERIENCE: (not waiverable):

a.Obtained within 36 months of anticipated school start date. A minimum of one-year nursing experience with acute physiologic monitoring is required. Intensive care nursing experience with knowledge of ventilators, hemodynamic monitoring, and use of vasoactive drips is preferred. Nursing experience in the operating room, post anesthesia recovery room, neonatal and pediatric ICUs, and emergency room are also considered. Completion of the Trauma Nurse Core Course (TNCC) is highly recommended.

b."Shadowing" an Air Force 46M3 or a civilian counterpart for a sufficient period to understand the role and responsibilities of the specialty is strongly recommended prior to application.

Candidates should contact Maj Brian Koonce, Nurse Anesthesia Consultant, Commercial 707-423-3781 or DSN 799-3781 or Lt Col Donna Heiter, Director, USAF Nurse Anesthesia Education, Travis AFB, CA, DSN 799-3590 for any questions on acute care experience and to coordinate application interview.

6. NATIONAL CERTIFICATION: Board Certification as a Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) or Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) is highly recommended.

7. INTERVIEW: A telephone or personal interview with a designated Air Force nurse anesthetist is required. Follow this procedure to complete the interview:

a.Early in the application processing stage, contact Maj Brian Koonce or Lt Col Donna Heiter and inform them of your intent to submit an application. They will assign an anesthetist interviewer.

b.The applicant must contact the assigned anesthetist to arrange the date and time for the interview. Send a current resume using the NC format found on the SGN Homepage to your interviewer immediately.

c.On the selected date, contact the assigned interviewer. A standardized interview format will be used. Allow up to one hour for the interview.

d.When the interview is completed, the interviewer will forward it directly to Mr. Calvin Baker at HQ AFPC/ DPAMN, 550 C Street West, Suite 25, Randolph AFB TX 78150-4727, for inclusion with the application package. SDOs must ensure the interview has been completed with the assigned interviewer before submitting the application package.

e.Appropriate school faculty will do a second interview after the AFIT board.

B.APPLICATION PROCEDURES AND INFORMATION:

a.Applicant must apply to both the USUHS and ASAGPAN nurse anesthesia programs before applying for AFIT sponsorship.

Thank you both for your responses. Now I keep thinking of more questions. First, is living on the bases as good as they say it is? Second, are the physicians in the AF respectful to the nurses? Third, what are the biggest negatives and positives that you have found being in the AF? Thanks again for answering all of my questions.

-Larry

Living on base has it pros and cons, mostly it is pretty good as long as the houses are fairly new.

Physicians are physicians....They are quite bit more respectful in the AF/military than their civilian counterparts. There are a variety of reasons for this, but one big reason is that there are a lot of nurses in the AF that outrank physicians...lol.

Pros: Pay, benefits/healthcare/eductational opportunities etc.

Cons: starting pay (usually lower than what you could make starting out on the civilian side, but it will quickly outpaces the civilian sector when you reach Captain), rank (nurse corps officers are the slowest to make rank in the AF), politics, and deployments are probably the worst things about being an officer in the AF.