Reply With QuoteMaybe you could ring the ADF recruiting people and ask them your questions.
http://www.defencejobs.gov.au/recrui...s/Default.aspx
Registered User
Any nurses in the Army/air force?
As the title says, I'm looking for any nurses that are in the army or air force.
My DH is considering joining and we have a few questions relating specifically to working as a nurse, and finishing study through them.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Moderator
Maybe you could ring the ADF recruiting people and ask them your questions.
http://www.defencejobs.gov.au/recrui...s/Default.aspx
Registered User
Well apart from that being really obvious and we are intending to do that - they aren't exactly going to put any negative spin on their employment and we would like to know everything about it - not just the good stuff that recruitment people tell you.
Moderator
My pleasure. Nothing like a good slap in the face.
Registered User
Sorry, I didn't think your response was helpful. I thought this was a forum where we could ask people for their experiences instead of being told to go somewhere else and ask.
Be like someone asking a breastfeeding question and being told to call the ABA. Or someone asking a pregnancy question and being told to call their midwife.
Has the forum changed since I've been here a lot and people don't help any more?
Registered User
MNB, Im not a nurse but used to work in the Navy. I was a med assist, so working alongside them. I may/may not be able to answer some of your questions there. Im also an Army wife so if you have any Q's in general I should be able to help there :-)
....and the lifestyle and work is VERY different in the forces to what recruiting tell you. Unfortunately they are just trying to get you in the door sometimes. But there are many really good aspects to the lifestyle as well :-)
Last edited by Caz_88; September 6th, 2012 at 01:56 PM.
Moderator
Personally I never hesitate to tell people to call the ABA or talk to their midwife.
Registered User
Thanks Caz
I'll be back later with DH's questions
Registered User
Mel, one word of advice - RAAF! Do not bother with the Army. He will have better job satisfaction and its more family friendly. There is a reason why my DH is jumping ship. From memory he will be sponsored to finish his RN's through Uni and when he graduates he will go to RMC or Duntroon in Canberra for Officer training (as RN's etc are officers). He will have a roso (set term of service, usually training + 4 years but these days I think they are negotiable cause they are desperate!)
ETA - yep and recruiting lie, esp for the Army and they will often convince you to do some other job aside from the one your qual'd or looking for.
Registered User
Yeah we are leaning towards the air force over the army - we've heard about it being more family friendly, plus their postings are for shorter periods.
However, he has to go away for 17 weeks to do the training, I'm guessing thats at the end of his uni though? So would be in about 2 years time if thats the case. I think. LOL
Registered User
Yes. Airforce is definitely less likely to deploy go field etc. But I don't necessarily see that as family friendly. We are posted to a RAAF base atm and the sense of community seems non-existant. I find the Army bases so much more supportive and involved, which can make all the difference during deployment..... You also need to consider the places that you will be posted. I actually prefer Army base locations over RAAF.
All that being said I would still like DH home more.....
PS Short posts aren't necessarily good. Disrupts kids schooling more..... but if that's something you like I know some Army wives who would give you their turn..... some I know have been on 12monthers got 3-4years..... it varies so much. We are just about to post on an expected 2+2.
Last edited by Caz_88; September 6th, 2012 at 03:49 PM.
Registered User
i am not a defence nurse, i am a nurse, i know defence nurses and i am a defence wife!
my defence nurse friends in the RAAF like their jobs but one thing they dont like is that they lose their skills as nurses due to the fact most nursing side of things are done by medics. they did say they do a lot of course tho.
as far as officer training goes, i believe they go to melbourne or point cook for their training not in canberra
RAAF is better then army but i am a RAAF wife so i can be a bit biased.
the defence will pay for your studies but you must complete 3 years with them after you graduate. they also like you to have worked 2 years in emergency post your graduate year in a hospital. i looked into all of this before i met DH as i was going to join.
ummmm what else would you like to know?
Registered User
Excellent. Does the officer training take place after your studies AND the two years in a hospital? So, he's done one year, so he would have to do training in 2 years time or 4 years time?
Registered User
Training comes AFTER Uni and employment if that's needed, they MAY organise that for you actually. From memory we knew a guy who was a soldier, got out and got his RN's then he worked through the military of sorts at the local hospital as part of his 'training' then went to officer school.
Registered User
after the 2 years. tho i am sure one did it over bits and pieces during the 2 years. they also now do casual one day every now and then in the emergency department they spent 2 years in
Registered User
Eek two different answers LOL
Just trying to work out if I would be able to survive on my own with the 4 kids if he ups and goes for 17 weeks. And 4 years would be a better time frame than 2 years, because all the kids would be at school so I would have a break from them and not go completely bananas...
Although in 2 years I would have a nearly 8 year old, 6 year old, nearly 5 year old and 3.5 year old.... so that would be nearly 3 in school.... maybe I could do it on my own.....
Registered User
Cant say it wont be hard Mel, it absolutely will, but we manage and so would you. Its a part of defence life unfortunately! You wouldnt have to move until he gets his posting orders after training so you'd still be within your support groups on the coast.
Registered User
I looked into joining as an RN. I did extensive research and found some interesting things but it was a few years back and may have changed.
I found that you have to do a certain amount of officer training before and during your education. They fit it in around your studies. Then you do a big stint afterwards. I was told you still have to go to basic boot camp prior to going to officer training for the RAAF and they were doing it for the Army as well but were trying to change that.
Officer training for nurses in RAAF is at Point Cook. For Army it is Canberra. For nurses, they do their specialist training in Point Cook from memory. Although they are qualified as a nurse, they have to learn "The ADF way" including things like air retrieval and combat medicine. ADF specific stuff. It is worth noting that the officer training they receive is not as intense as the others get. I was told it is because they aren't expected to make the same officer decisions as other corps. From memory the Army is only 6 weeks at Duntroon (excluding the time at Kapooka). I think RAAF was longer.
Depending on which arm of the ADF you join depends on your starting rank.
The Army and RAAF have similar nursing experiences and opportunities. The ADF tends to pool its resources for nursing and medical. So just because you're RAAF you won't miss out on the tours.
MOST nursing and medical staff in the ADF are actually reservists. This is because they can maintain their clinical skills and education. Due to the demographic of fit and healthy members, they are often restricted in what they see and do unless deployed. Having said that, there are several military hospitals around where you get the post ops and minor stuff. Big stuff is done in major hospitals. Most of the military bases hire civilian nurses on contracts now.
The Army hires the most nurses and you will have more chance of getting sponsorship through them. I actually found that a few years ago they had stopped doing the sponsor thing for those wanting to go to Uni. Some were able to get it if they were in 3rd year. But it was getting harder to get sponsored. This had a lot to do with low retention rates.
The Navy hires the least amount of nurses and they have the least clinical roles. In 2005 they had less than 20 Nurses in the Navy. A good friend of mine is a Naval nurse.
With sponsorship you owe them the years it takes to do the training plus that again + 1. So if the course takes 3 years, you give them 3 years to do your training + 3 years on top of that + 1 year. Don't forget with nursing you have to do a Graduate year which gets tacked in to your service time. There were also some rules about how you get paid for your Grad year but I can't remember those. And when you're on Semester Break at Uni, you have to go do ADF stuff. You just get your standard 4 weeks a year off.
I highly recommend going to the Nursing Expo in your State. There will be an ADF display with nurses.
ETA: A lot of the ADF nurses still do a clinical shift in a local civilian hospital 1 or 2 a week to maintain their clinical skills. The ADF is supportive of this because of the skills maintenance. I spoke to lots and lots and lots of ADF nurses and staff - not just recruiting.
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