Should I join the RAF as a student nurse or go to uni to gain experience then join?
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Should I join the RAF as a student nurse or go to uni to gain experience then join?In a couple of months I'll be starting my second year in sixth form and recently I went to a UCAS fair and there were so many uni stalls there, but the one that got my attention was the RAF stall. Since then I've been doing some research on being a student nurse in the RAF and oh my lord I literally just wanted school to finish so I could get on with a life in the RAF, but recently I've been reading a couple of blogs and so forth and the majority of them say that it's a lot more difficult to get into the RAF as a nurse nowdays as it's overmanned and they are looking for more experienced nurses. So, do I go to uni instead and gain my experience through the NHS and then join the RAF at a higher rank? but to be perfectly honest I don't think I could wait another three or four years to join. So please could someone give me some advice on what to do. thank you.
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Re: Should I join the RAF as a student nurse or go to uni to gain experience then joihowever other than a few scholarship places Nursing officer entry requires a minimum of two years post reg experience and you'll often be up against candidates with more than that minimum 2 years post reg(Original post by jtnf)
If I was you, I'd do your degree as a civvy and then join the RAF.
for NCO entry you may as well let the DMS pay you a wage as a student ... -
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Re: Should I join the RAF as a student nurse or go to uni to gain experience then joiGo and speak to your nearest RAF Careers Office. They can put you in touch with the RAF Nursing Team who deal directly with certain aspects of recruiting and you can arrange to speak to them and attend one of their presentations on nursing.
For Student Nurse you need 5 GCSEs/ SCEs are required including mathematics, English language and one of: Biology, Physics, Chemistry or Science double award at Grade C or above, plus 280 UCAS points from higher education. Nursing or care experience is desirable.
Training is a 3-year course at Birmingham City University, consisting of a 12 month common foundation phase followed by a 2 year adult speciality branch programme with clinical placements in civilian and some Service areas. -
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Re: Should I join the RAF as a student nurse or go to uni to gain experience then joiYou would be a military student studying at Birmingham City University. You do exactly the same modules as anyone else training that branch of nursing, as the NMC state what learning outcomes need to be met for you to be able to register as a nurse. However some of the placements are military, such as the potential to do your primary care placement in a med centre in Cyprus for instance. You live with other military students and as you are a member of the armed forces are subject to military discipline. Training goes on for the military students in time out of uni, including PT, weapons training, CBRN, so on and so forth. You are paid a wage of about 16k per annum I believe rather than the bursary civvy students get. I think the return of service currently for nurses is four years, at which point you can terminate and leave if you wish to. There is a poster on here who is a RAF nurse who may be able to give you more information.(Original post by wantingmoreinfo)
So is the training the same as any other student nurse in the NHS?
If I had my time again in the armed forces, I would have gone for nursing which is my current career now as a civvy and something I would have enjoyed in the armed forces. In the end, you get better training opportunities, the potential to travel and move from specialities a lot easier than in the NHS and you are supported well at uni.Last edited by moonkatt; 07-07-2012 at 15:01. -
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That is qualified entry, for those insufficiently experiened to enter as an Nursing Officer. Military students get acting cpl on qualification.(Original post by unruly1986)
There is a scheme whereby you join as a nurse and are promoted to Corporal pretty much straight away. Not sure if this is the qualified route.
This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my GT-I9100 -
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Re: Should I join the RAF as a student nurse or go to uni to gain experience then joiCheers for confirmation. These girls were back at Halton for JMLC less than six months after RTS. Not a bad deal.(Original post by zippyRN)
That is qualified entry, for those insufficiently experiened to enter as an Nursing Officer. Military students get acting cpl on qualification.
This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my GT-I9100 -
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Re: Should I join the RAF as a student nurse or go to uni to gain experience then joiIt's more to may the pay attractive for the role. Like techs in the Royal Signals tend to get lance jack on finishing their trade training and climb the rank structure quite quickly so that they pay competes with similar roles in civvy street.(Original post by unruly1986)
Cheers for confirmation. These girls were back at Halton for JMLC less than six months after RTS. Not a bad deal. -
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Re: Should I join the RAF as a student nurse or go to uni to gain experience then joior it might just be to reflect the management and supervisory competencies in the pre-registration programme - much as Nurse is a single 'class' trade' being an RN is a jump straight to class 1 and there is no class 3 or 2 for Nurses(Original post by moonkatt)
It's more to may the pay attractive for the role. Like techs in the Royal Signals tend to get lance jack on finishing their trade training and climb the rank structure quite quickly so that they pay competes with similar roles in civvy street.
other NATO forces only commission RNs and have no NCO RNs, e.g. in the case of the Americans and Canadians it;s because they have second level nurses who can undertake a of professional Nurse responsibilities ... -
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Re: Should I join the RAF as a student nurse or go to uni to gain experience then joiIts actually a combination of both....to make it attractive and to reflect the technical / specialist nature of the role.(Original post by zippyRN)
or it might just be to reflect the management and supervisory competencies in the pre-registration programme - much as Nurse is a single 'class' trade' being an RN is a jump straight to class 1 and there is no class 3 or 2 for Nurses
other NATO forces only commission RNs and have no NCO RNs, e.g. in the case of the Americans and Canadians it;s because they have second level nurses who can undertake a of professional Nurse responsibilities ...
The last 10 years have seen NHS pay catch up very well with Mil nurse pay. Introduction of the Nurses Pay Spine and Specialist (Qual & Experienced) Pay were intended to address this issue.Last edited by RAF_Nurse!; 21-07-2012 at 09:33.
