Too late for boards

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I talked with a Air Force Nursing recruiter last week and he told me that they had canceled the spring selection boards for the NTP because the AF had already filled most of the spots. Because it takes a while to do the application, there's no way I could make the boards at the end of December. Anyway, I was bummed because now I can't get in for probably at least another year or 2. Has anyone else had a similar experience?:o

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Completing all of your paperwork is a long process. You need to pursue this if this is what you want.

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Specializes in EMT, ER, Homehealth, OR.

firefiter is right, that way your paperwork will be ready for when the boards meet again. If there is no change in the economy it will be best to be on the first board for FY11.

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Specializes in Cardiac-Tele.

Good luck in the process! If this is something that you want to make happen, keep pursing it. I started all my paperwork in April for the November boards. It is a long and sometimes frustrating process. Starting the process now for FY11 boards just gives you more time to make sure that everything is in and all the hickups are taken care of early!

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Thanks guys! I wondering if I can still go through the process now since it seems to be too late to go in as a nursing student (I graduate in May) and if you don't go in as a nursing student, you're supposed to have 6 months of experience. Should I start the process after I have 6 months of experience or before?

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Before! Trust me, I started this process in April and I still am waiting.

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Specializes in Cardiac-Tele.

I started the process before I graduated this past May. I will still go in as a "new nurse" with the NTP but will have the added experience of 7 months on my own. It is always better to start the process early!

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Yep. It took me about a year and three months from initial visit with a recruiter to COT graduation, and about a year to just get to COT.

You'll go to NTP if you have less than one year experience anyway, so keep plowing away at that paperwork.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

i'm sorry that the spring boards was cancelled. they had an overwhelming amount of people apply for the november boards. my recruiter said about 120 were selected (NTP and non-NTP). i guess it's becoming more so competitive with the economy going down the potty.

like everyone else, my advise is to start filling out those paperwork now. it's a very long and sometimes frustrating process.

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Yep - I agree - you have no idea what they might want, or if they'll want a waiver for something, or if your recruiter just isn't as "on it" as you were hoping they'd be.

Go ahead and start it. If you get it done early, you can always hold on to it for a month or so if you have to. Look at it this way - you'll have time to correct any mistakes you find, and to get stellar letters of reference. I say go ahead and get started.

And here's a thought: say you didn't get a jump on it, and your recruiter calls and says, "AFPC just said they're opening up six slots on X board - is your stuff together?". You'd kick yourself.

And that DOES happen. I talked to a few folks in my class that were there because a couple of slots opened up on the board. Their paperwork went in, and they were selected.

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Thank you so much for all the great advice! :) I think I'm going to try to keep working at it!

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