Professionally Qualified Officer

Hi,

I'm in the process of applying to become an Adult Health Nursing Officer in the army, having already gained an unconditional place at unifor Adult Nursing, commencing in September.

I understand that I have to undergo the same application process as regular Officer applicants, such as the AOSB briefing and main board, where they test fitness and other competencies. My question is, since I would be a nurse in the army, will my application be marked differently? I understand the need to be fit and to meet the basic requirements, but as a nurse I doubt I would be having to cross a complex obstacle course, or plan a military exercise?

Any advice or past experiences would be appreciated, as this is very new to me.


Posted from TSR Mobile

Hi Ellie, are you not jumping the gun a bit with your Army application? On the Army roles site, it suggests you have to have at least 2 years experience as a qualified nurse. If you're just applying to Uni for your nursing course, that implies you've got a few years before you could apply to the Army.

In terms of the training, I get where you're coming from, but what you have to understand is that you'd be an Army Officer, first, specialist second. That means that you have to undergo a similar sort of rigorous training course to equip you for the role of an Officer. Doesn't mean you'll ever have to use those 'battlefield' skills, but you might find yourself in that sort of situation. A lot of medical staff were out in Iraq / Afghanistan in recent times, running state of the art field hospitals etc, but even though they may have been behind the wire, they were still in a very hostile environment. That's what your military training equips you for.

On the + side, your course at Sandhurst is only 10 weeks, against the regular 44 weeks commissioning route, so they obviously recognise that you don't have to jump through too many painful hoops!

At the end of the day, a career in the military is completely different from civvy street and a lot of the time you just have to grin and bear it, if you really want to choose that path.

Best of luck with whatever you choose.

Ikky

However, my query was more centred around the process of selection, since potentially professionally qualified officers also participate in the AOSB general briefing and main board. Hence, my question regarded the nature of grading, and whether the fact I won't be undertaking the same physical work as a regular Officer would cause my application to be regarded differently.

AOSB is not just a physical exercise, there are thinking parts too and that is where it will be important to include PQOs also. You might be the best nurse in the world but if you have zero project management skills then the useful input you can provide at the planning stage will be limited and that's not conducive to military operations.

Hi Ellie

Good news for you about the revised qualification requirement! Any extra cash supporting you through higher education is a very good thing.

Sorry, I got the wrong end of the stick about your query. A lot of requests on this forum are pretty vague to say the least, so you have to make assumptions about what the questioner is really asking. I apologise for making a bad call in your case!

However, what you are asking is quite a technical selection query. I have no Army experience, and can only signpost you in the direction of the QARANC team you spoke to previously to see if they can answer. That would be the best course of action rather than pinning your hopes on there happening to be a TSR lurker who has been through the Army Adult Nurse Officer selection and knows how the process works! In my time contributing to this forum, there haven't been too many Army nurse queries. Most people want to know how to get into the RAF.

Not sure what that says!

Best wishes though,

Ikky

Thank you for your advice, I'm quite aware that successful officers possess several competencies, some of which I'm more confident about than others, fitness being one. I just hope that I would be marked on my potential, not merely what I can display already.


Posted from TSR Mobile

If you're still at the stage of awaiting the medical questionnaire then you have plenty of time to meet the physical requirements. At AOSB you will be expected to hit the minimum standards and they are just that, a minimum. Most people should be able to reach that standard with a few months training.

Whilst the minimum standards are the same for the regular officers they are expected to perform at a higher standard than the PQO's, realistically they're expected to get a sub 10 minute mile and a half (thought this doesn't matter at Westbury as you do the bleep test). Once you get to Sandhurst following board you will be expected to have improved on your performance further.

They're very keen on PQO's being fit as most soldiers will not care what your role is but expect you as an officer to set the example, including in phys.

I thought the time limit for women was 14 minutes? That is what I was told by the recruitment team. Whilst 14 minutes may just be about manageable in my current state, I think relatively few women could achieve the amen distance in 10 minutes?


Posted from TSR Mobile

Yeah it was a generic answer based on my own group, whatever the female time is you'll be expected to hit that minimum. We had quite a few women on my course who ran sub-11.

Thanks, are you an Officer?


Posted from TSR Mobile

Passed board and mod 1, still to do mod 2.

I see. I'm currently starting to improve my fitness by aiming to do 1-2 1.5 mile runs a week (I work long hours and live in a rural village, so no where near a gym). Are you required to run a 1.5 mile distance at either the briefing or main board? As I have found conflicting information which suggests that applicants do the bleep test instead. If you are required to do the run, is walking permitted, so long as you complete the distance in the required time frame?


Posted from TSR Mobile

I and everyone i know who went to Westbury did the bleep test, as far as i know this is the standard and they don't seem to have the room for a full mile and a half (bleep test means you only run around 1300m to get an 8.2 which i believe is the femal standard). You can walk if you get in within the time (on a run once through Westbury) though realistically you should be running the full distance.

1-2 1.5 mile runs will be unlikely to be sufficient, 3-4 runs/week with aerobic and intervals would see you perform much better (hill sprints would also be very useful). You don't need a gym, press-ups and sit-ups can be done at home. They won't accept the long hours excuse once you get to Sandhurst, most PQO's work long hours and the directing staff who run the course work very long hours also. There is always time to fit at least 3 sessions in a week.

Thanks for replying. Whilst I understand the need to increase the regularity of my exercise, I currently work 4-5 12 hour days in a row, which doesn't leave much time for activity either side, except for weekends which I have started doing! I also work in a very physically demanding job, so I'm getting plenty of exercise anyway. Even so, I've heard of a bleep test app downloadable for iPhones, so I may use that as well. Thanks again.


Posted from TSR Mobile

When I'm maxed out at work I flick to a high intensity short interval type training program. 20 mins phys including sprints, knees to chest, squat thrusts etc. Have a look at routines on the web and you can pick and mix your own exercises.

Thanks for replying. Whilst I understand the need to increase the regularity of my exercise, I currently work 4-5 12 hour days in a row, which doesn't leave much time for activity either side, except for weekends which I have started doing! I also work in a very physically demanding job, so I'm getting plenty of exercise anyway. Even so, I've heard of a bleep test app downloadable for iPhones, so I may use that as well. Thanks again.


Posted from TSR Mobile