Bio. 29 male graduating in 12/2017 with a BSN RN. Previous history: EMT > Paramedic > nursing school. I'm pretty comfortable with what I know which is trauma and emergency medicine. And I love it. I've always wanted to serve in the military, and from a military family my dad told me officer over enlisted. So as a new grad nurse, what are my options as far as duties in different branches.
My ultimate dream military job would be a medievac crew, but there's no officer nurse positions for that. I would love to become a flight nurse in the civilian side and I want to learn all I can to strive my best to get to that goal
All i know is from recruiters and enlisted, so I don't have any first hand experience. About me as well, I would like to excel and learn more things and get great experience. I don't want to be stuck in a small clinic somewhere doing paperwork (yes I know I don't have say) but I want to have the flexibility of working outside in the field/theater and still get great critical care/ emergency experience.
I would like to ask the community what your advice or thoughts are.
The Air Force uses the term AFSC (Air Force Specialty Code) instead of the MOS.
I've never done TCCET so I can't really tell you what aircraft they use. All of the things I mentioned can involve ER nurses and ICU nurses. So, you would ideally enter the AF with at least 1 year of ICU or ER RN experience and have either the 46N3E (ICU) or 46N3J (ER) AFSC.
I have also not done SOST. What I know comes from people who have and the written call for candidates. SOST involves a 10 month training pipeline. In order to apply to get in, you must complete one assignment as an Air Force ICU or ER nurse. The application involves a written app, an interview, and a week-long in-person tryout. The fitness portion of that tryout involves treading water in uniform for 10 minutes, swimming underwater for 15 yards without breaking, and a 250 meter swim. There is also a timed 5K and a timed ruck march with 45 pound packs. You also have to get a 90% on the AF's standard PT test.
Oh wow! Thank you for all this! And thats really exciting to hear. Im choosing my preceptor locations right now and Im definitely putting into ER and ICU. Hopefully I can get into a hospital in those positions for a year and then apply. Thank you for putting in the AFSC codes, because when I try to look into the websites, I have not seen any of the TCCET or SOST positions anywhere.
The training and education sounds intense! But its great. The application seems reasonable. And Im glad that they have a week long working interview since it can help the candidate and the recruiter to see each other's environment. And good thing I can have some time to train pretty hard core now. I wonder why that there is lots of swimming involved. The swimming part to me seems doable, though haven't treaded water with a uniform on. And the running with a 45 pound ruck seems intense, but something to train too. I really appreciate the specifics because I have a better idea as to what exactly I need to work towards.
Thank you so much for the link and the insights once again. So far, I have 2 great possibilities and like to learn more into them a little bit further as to which ones works for me.
In your experience, have you worked with these nurses? Do you know what kind of culture or expectations they have in their duties and other personnel?
I can speak for CCATT. The culture is fairly relaxed, but professional, and respectful of officer and enlisted. Docs, nurses and RTs all go to the same courses to qualify for CCATT and plenty of each will fail or flounder.
The most important thing to all of us, to quote a colleague, is that you "know your sh*t". You can't fast track your way into one of these specialty assignments. You have to take the time in a high acuity ED or level 1 trauma ICU to really learn how to be a critical care nurse.
If you can't get past the clinical validation committees for your job (CCATT, TCCET, FST/SOST), your PT scores won't even matter.
Just to be clear, you can't directly enter CCATT, TCCET, or SOST from the civilian sector. You have to enter as an ICU or ER nurse and then apply for those jobs. The AFSCs I gave you are for general ER and ICU nurses. They do not specifically reflect any one job.
Unfortunately, all I know about SOST or TCCET is what I've just told you.
And yes. Knowing your **** and always learning new things is actually one of my goals for nursing and something I'm looking forward to.
And yes. Knowing your **** is something I've seen just in the EMS world. I've seen the good, bad, and lots of ugly in the paramedic business. And it's something I've learn not what to do, and helped me with my practice.
Also, there's luckily a Level 1 trauma hospital in my town that I'm applying for preceptorship in ER or CTICU. And hopefully applying to their new grad program too.
Would you please tell me more of what your department does? What does CCATT stand for and how does it differ from the rest of the depts you listed?
Thank you so much, you've been really helpful and I would like to learn more
Awesome. Thank you jfratian, I really appreciate all that you have told me.
So, when one goes in, how long do you have to be in your department before you can apply to the schools for the other specialized depts? How feasible would commanders let you apply to the different jobs and let you go?
And yes. Knowing your **** and always learning new things is actually one of my goals for nursing and something I'm looking forward to.
And yes. Knowing your **** is something I've seen just in the EMS world. I've seen the good, bad, and lots of ugly in the paramedic business. And it's something I've learn not what to do, and helped me with my practice.
Also, there's luckily a Level 1 trauma hospital in my town that I'm applying for preceptorship in ER or CTICU. And hopefully applying to their new grad program too.
Would you please tell me more of what your department does? What does CCATT stand for and how does it differ from the rest of the depts you listed?
Thank you so much, you've been really helpful and I would like to learn more
I'm a reservist who was hired directly as a CCATT nurse, so I am the exception to the rule that jfratian explained, which is as an active duty nurse in the AF, you would be either an ER or ICU nurse, and occasionally deploy to do CCATT missions.
It's more tedious than point-of-injury care (like CRO or TCCET), so an appreciation or knack for mind-numbing ICU tweaking is important.
CCATT stand for critical care air transport team. It consists of a doctor, an ICU/ED nurse, and an RT. We provide ICU care to our warriors or their dependents during long flights between countries or continents.
As an active duty AF nurse, you can apply to attend the CCATT basic course typically with 2 years of ICU experience. Only a certain number of CCATT slots are available for each base, so it's really up to you to stand out among your peers. Your supervisors would decide who was put in a CCATT deployment slot.
I'm a reservist who was hired directly as a CCATT nurse, so I am the exception to the rule that jfratian explained, which is as an active duty nurse in the AF, you would be either an ER or ICU nurse, and occasionally deploy to do CCATT missions.
It's more tedious than point-of-injury care (like CRO or TCCET), so an appreciation or knack for mind-numbing ICU tweaking is important.
CCATT stand for critical care air transport team. It consists of a doctor, an ICU/ED nurse, and an RT. We provide ICU care to our warriors or their dependents during long flights between countries or continents.
Thank you Eurosepsis for that. When did you enlist to get a unicorn job like that? How often do you deploy now a days for CCATT missions? What are some of the more tedious mind-numbing ICU tweaking? Like titrating drips and all? What kinds of cases would qualify for CCATT transport?
CRO is the same as an officer PJ? Could you explain to me the scenarios in which CCATT, TCCET, and SOST would be deployed? Thank you
As an active duty AF nurse, you can apply to attend the CCATT basic course typically with 2 years of ICU experience. Only a certain number of CCATT slots are available for each base, so it's really up to you to stand out among your peers. Your supervisors would decide who was put in a CCATT deployment slot.
Thank you jfratian, would the two years include prior military experience? And CCATT are in each base? Are there certain kinds of bases that specialize in this, or are there rotations? And is there anything you can suggest to me that would help me stand out among my peers and would offer me a better chance for selection?
You need to know how to be a nurse really well. The experience that they want is 2 years of ICU nursing experience. Prior time as an enlisted medic isn't going to cut it. That's why you should get a civilian job in an ICU at a level 1 trauma center: burn ICU, trauma/surgery ICU, or neuro icu would be optimal. If you join before getting that experience, your road to CCATT is going to be much longer.
I can't really think of any bases with ICUs that don't have CCATT. Someone correct me if I'm missing something. So, if you enter the AF with the 46N3E (ICU nurse) code, then you will always be at a CCATT base.
Thank you Eurosepsis for that. When did you enlist to get a unicorn job like that?
I'm lucky to work with a CCATT doc and happened to be working on my commission at a time when they had an opening for a new nurse. The job isn't rare, but it's hard to find openings.
How often do you deploy now a days for CCATT missions? What are some of the more tedious mind-numbing ICU tweaking? Like titrating drips and all? What kinds of cases would qualify for CCATT transport?
There's thankfully not an abundance of critically ill or injured soldiers who need us to fly them, but generally you can expect to deploy every 18 months for 6 months when the need is ongoing. We still do humanitarian missions and domestic and international educational engagements in peacetime.
ICU tedium... yeah, titrating drips, meticulous intake/output for burn resuscitation and DI, ICP numeric and waveform monitoring, vigilance for abdominal compartment syndrome and monitoring bladder pressures, vent management, advanced vent settings and maneuvers. The list goes on.
CRO is the same as an officer PJ? Could you explain to me the scenarios in which CCATT, TCCET, and SOST would be deployed? Thank you
As far as how each asset would be utilized:
CRO - combat search and rescue, just like any other PJ. There's a good article out there written by a PJ to prospectives that basically says "don't get into this looking to just get your slay on, or looking just to heal people". It's as much one as it is the other.
TCCET - Jump in a helicopter and fly to the pt, possibly under fire, perform advanced treatment en route back to austere medical facility. This role is more treatment than combat compared to CRO.
SOST - Perform surgery or advanced medical care in support of special operations forces. Mostly treatment, unlikely combat. But you're forward and with an AFSOC team so who knows.
CCATT - Critically ill/injured pt(s) needs to be moved to Germany, Hawaii or CONUS stat for continued care. Pick them up from US or coalition field hospitals, maintain or advance ICU care en route and deliver them to receiving facility.
jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA
1,663 Posts
The Air Force uses the term AFSC (Air Force Specialty Code) instead of the MOS.
I've never done TCCET so I can't really tell you what aircraft they use. All of the things I mentioned can involve ER nurses and ICU nurses. So, you would ideally enter the AF with at least 1 year of ICU or ER RN experience and have either the 46N3E (ICU) or 46N3J (ER) AFSC.
I have also not done SOST. What I know comes from people who have and the written call for candidates. SOST involves a 10 month training pipeline. In order to apply to get in, you must complete one assignment as an Air Force ICU or ER nurse. The application involves a written app, an interview, and a week-long in-person tryout. The fitness portion of that tryout involves treading water in uniform for 10 minutes, swimming underwater for 15 yards without breaking, and a 250 meter swim. There is also a timed 5K and a timed ruck march with 45 pound packs. You also have to get a 90% on the AF's standard PT test.
Special Operations Surgical Teams