Reserves as an Experienced Critical Care RN

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Hello All!

I have read through several threads and learned much, but I have a few specific questions.

On the Navy and Air Force sites, I am lead to believe that critical care nurses receive a really decent bonus. Also, the more experience and skills, do you receive a better commission?

I have 7 years critical care pediatric and adults. I have CCRN, TNCC in addition to PALS, ACLS, NRP, BLS. Does this have any bearing?

Thanks!

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

Yes, and yes. Your experience would be highly valued. You would be perfect for CCAT (critical care air transport). Bonuses change all the time, you need to contact a recruiter, preferably a health care recruiter. If not, contact the unit you want to join directly. Their recruiter would be familiar with nursing bonuses. I took $45,000 for flight nursing (and yes it was painful lol). You will also receive a higher rank (AF at least) for more experience. I went through school with a nurse who came in as a Major. You would probably be a Captain, guessing at your experience. Where do you live? Maybe I can help you find a unit.

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Specializes in EMT, ER, Homehealth, OR.

Your experience will help with rank. It roughly works out for 2 to 1; for every 12 months experience you have you will get 6 months of constructive credit. With 7 years as a RN you should come in as a senior O2. The Navy will only count your time after your BSN if you started out with a ADN. I believe the AF will except all your RN time. As nurse2033 stated you need to speak with a Healthcare Recruiter.

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As a nurse who also has 7 years as a BSN/RN, I recently commissioned as an O-2 in the AFR

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Yes, and yes. Your experience would be highly valued. You would be perfect for CCAT (critical care air transport). Bonuses change all the time, you need to contact a recruiter, preferably a health care recruiter. If not, contact the unit you want to join directly. Their recruiter would be familiar with nursing bonuses. I took $45,000 for flight nursing (and yes it was painful lol). You will also receive a higher rank (AF at least) for more experience. I went through school with a nurse who came in as a Major. You would probably be a Captain, guessing at your experience. Where do you live? Maybe I can help you find a unit.

Hello nurse 2033!

I am a new graduate nurse (BSN) and will be commissioned into the Navy Nurse Corp in a few weeks. I am interested in becoming a Flight nurse and even before graduating I received my ACLS, PALS, BLS and more triage certifications. Are you familiar at all with the Navy programs and how to pursue flight or is the CCAT part of the Air Force? Thank you!

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

CCAT is Air Force, sorry I don't know anything about the Navy (other than the obvious boat part). Air Force does the air transport for all services, except the first leg involving rescue and evac from combat, and that is not done by nurses but by medics and corpsmen (and rescue swimmers- don't forget the Coast Guard). I've heard the army and Air Force are staring tactical nursing programs but I don't know anything more about them. If you really want flight nursing its the Air Force. But you can do critical care on the ground in all services (the Marines don't have medical). Depends what you want to do.

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Hello nurse 2033!

I am a new graduate nurse (BSN) and will be commissioned into the Navy Nurse Corp in a few weeks. I am interested in becoming a Flight nurse and even before graduating I received my ACLS, PALS, BLS and more triage certifications. Are you familiar at all with the Navy programs and how to pursue flight or is the CCAT part of the Air Force? Thank you!

Hey just thought I could offer some assistance: I'm an ER nurse in the AF. I came in with just short of 8 years nursing experience and just ranked to Captain this month. I work with multiple CCAT nurses and am looking at going into flight nursing myself for my next assignment. There are 2 different ways to be a flight nurse in the AF: regular and critical care (CCAT). CCAT is changing to a more ICU RN base where they used to take ER nurses as well. The other "regular" type of flight nursing is more med/surge at 30,000 ft. However, you still need to have some critical care thinking because the last thing you want to have is something go bad at altitude and not know what to do. As far as tactical nursing, this is something that they are also looking a phasing out. A couple of the nurses I work with are part of a group called TACIT, which they go to the point of injury and scoop and go. However, now that the Army has a similar program, talk is of phasing out this program and just sending the PJ's that are already trained with a flight surgeon.

With that being said, having advanced training will make a transition to any flight nursing position easier. Also, showing drive and initiative as an officer will come into play. Personally, I have only been AD since arriving in Oct but I'm already precepting, have gotten teaching positions for ACLS/PALS and am the assistant UOP for a current AF fundraiser. In the next few months I am getting training for charge nurse of the ER I am in and also teaching competences to the unit. So just going to work everyday isn't an option if you want to go further and get desired jobs. And AF really is the only branch that does air transport for patients. Average time from wound to stateside is 72hrs (and dropping).

Good luck and if you have any other questions just ask. I LOVE being AF.

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Thank you very much for sharing your experience; your input is highly valued. Also thank you for your time, it is very much appreciated! :-)

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