Stuck at the bedside forever?

Thanks for the info. Do you happen to know if there's any ability to switch to case management, utilization review, informatics, etc later down the road? Even on the Air Force website, it seems like all of the positions are all bedside related. I'm mainly concerned about the physical demands once I get older.

If you go active duty, as you progress in rank you will progress in management. You couldn't stay at the bedside if you wanted to (there are some exceptions). This is as an RN, I don't know anything about CRNAs. At some point you would need a Masters but not for a while. You do have to pass the PT test every year, you can google the requirements. Good luck.

CNS, management, nurse scientist - all sound very promising. I tried googling Air Force nurse informatics positions, but there wasn't any information I could find online

I think I need to make that a chorus line in a song. "Stuck at the bedside, forever...".

I'm interesting in long-term career in the Air Force, but I know that 10 - 15 years down the road, my body might not tolerate bedside nursing as well as it used to. I can tolerate the back pains from constantly pulling up heavy patients now, but it's hard to imagine doing so in my 40's - 50's.

I would like to pursue to a graduate degree but I'm not interested in NP or CRNA. Maybe something along the lines of case management, utilization review, informatics, etc.

I'm an ICU nurse with over a year of experience. From what I've read, the AF is resistant to release ICU nurses due to the demand in this specialty. Realistically, what are my options long-term?

As someone who has worked in the OR I literally work with CRNAs all day long everyday. I would strongly strongly encourage you to go down that path (or at least further investigate it)

Youre already in the ICU so youll have the ICU experience. CRNA demand is much greater than ICU nurses, so that helps you out with your military obligations (not to mention the military's CRNA program is supposedly top notch). its an awesome career where they are super happy (every tells me everyday I should become a CRNA), its not physically demanding so it wont destroy your body as you age, it really is exciting and you get to see/learn so much, and it probably helps that its one of the best paying professions in the world.

The biggest downside is the schooling/education is super competitive and very difficult, but no questions asked its probably the best decision you can make.

Case Management/UR/Informatics etc youre gonna have crappy job flexibility (and the pay wont be the greatest) not to mention those are all areas that I think COULD at somepoint in the future get delegated to non RNS to save money.

NP is solid too, but i think CRNA is just a much better choice

You will not be stuck at the bedside forever as an icu nurse in the AF. I'm AD ICU. I'm not bedside right now. They needed me to do something else, much to my dismay originally. Lol.

Do do expect to stay ICU bedside for 2 assignments (6-8 years) and depending on your rank and how leadership,of the unit is falling. Typically, once you reach major, you start moving away from the bedside and into more administrative roles.

Its funny, most of us are resistant to moving away from the bedside - so maybe it would be a good fit for you.

Hiya Luna! Yeah, it's been awhile. I've been really busy here. There's a tradition of going crazy here in ones last few months of fitting as much in as possible. So I've been traveling every bit of time off. I leave England next month

This is my 2nd assignment as an ICU nurse and I've been granted the opportunity to leave my identifier field of ICU even though it's still critically manned. I've been pushed away from bedside - which is a mixed bag. Learned loads, but do miss patients. I find that AF nurses do not often have the critical patient load I was used to as a civilian anyway. When deployed we do get real patients, but then they have to scramble to get their skills back quick.

next stop - Scott AFB, IL