RAF Nursing

I do. I've been one for 15 years. What would you like to know? I do still enjoy it, even after 5 tours, 2 oversea's postings, numerous other postings (peterborough, portsmouth, birmingham). It gets a bit tough rationalising it all with a family life. Its the courses and pre-det training that really adds up to time away, often just before you actually go away for extended periods of time, on operational tours!

How difficult is the basic training? I mean... for a small girl, who doesn't do MASSIVE amounts of exercise?

I do. I've been one for 15 years. What would you like to know? I do still enjoy it, even after 5 tours, 2 oversea's postings, numerous other postings (peterborough, portsmouth, birmingham). It gets a bit tough rationalising it all with a family life. Its the courses and pre-det training that really adds up to time away, often just before you actually go away for extended periods of time, on operational tours!

May I ask, did you do the student nurse route or join as a nurse and are you an officer?
I'd like to go into the RAF after university but I've heard some people think I should join as a student nurse and others think I should become a nursing officer after gaining 2 years experience, whereas I just wanted to join as an adult nurse with no commission?

Thank you for your opinion on your career, it is something that I would truly love to do.

Slightly off topic but still relevant:

I'm quite far through the application process as a medical officer. From what I've experienced so far and through affiliated experience of the RAF, I would say its something (if you are certain and if you think you'll enjoy it) you should definitely go for.

Just make sure you have the ambition and willpower and you'll do fine. In terms of fitness they advise you have a basic level of fitness, s that you'll not struggle during basic raining. But the more fitness you do now, the easier it'll be in the future!

If I were to go back into the armed forces doing nursing I would join as a student nurse. You are much better supported financially as a military student, there's no worrying about money as much as there is when you're trying to survive on a bursary. The whole officer v non commissioned thing is a load of rubbish, if you were to qualify as a military student and made the right impressions two years post qualifying you could still potentially apply for a commission and with that you would also have a wealth of military experience compared to someone who has come in off the street as a civvy nurse after a commission. Also if anything as an officer you would probably be more bogged down with paperwork and admin compared to an NCO nurse (just a guess here, RAF nurse can correct me if I'm mistaken though I doubt it).

In the end its up to you and what you want career wise and what you want from your university experience, as understandably being a military student at uni you are subjected to a hell of a lot more discipline than your civilian counterparts.

How difficult is the basic training? I mean... for a small girl, who doesn't do MASSIVE amounts of exercise?

May I ask, did you do the student nurse route or join as a nurse and are you an officer?
I'd like to go into the RAF after university but I've heard some people think I should join as a student nurse and others think I should become a nursing officer after gaining 2 years experience, whereas I just wanted to join as an adult nurse with no commission?

Thank you for your opinion on your career, it is something that I would truly love to do.

If I were to go back into the armed forces doing nursing I would join as a student nurse. You are much better supported financially as a military student, there's no worrying about money as much as there is when you're trying to survive on a bursary. The whole officer v non commissioned thing is a load of rubbish, if you were to qualify as a military student and made the right impressions two years post qualifying you could still potentially apply for a commission and with that you would also have a wealth of military experience compared to someone who has come in off the street as a civvy nurse after a commission. Also if anything as an officer you would probably be more bogged down with paperwork and admin compared to an NCO nurse (just a guess here, RAF nurse can correct me if I'm mistaken though I doubt it).

In the end its up to you and what you want career wise and what you want from your university experience, as understandably being a military student at uni you are subjected to a hell of a lot more discipline than your civilian counterparts.

I would think that the military would have less people with this attitude (though probably some) and the system would weed out those showing these characteristics. Please correct me if you think I am mistaken.

From what I understand, though the MDHUs have military wings and military personnel, most of the staff would be civilians. My question is, from first hand experience working in an MDHU or other establishment with a larger percentage of civilians than military personnel, do you find that the general attitude and work ethic is more positive than my experience in a fully civilian environment?

I'm currently considering joining the RAF as a student nurse and would appreciate a little first hand information from currently serving nurses. I have had a look at previous posts and searched generally on the internet but was wondering how being a military nurse differs to being a civilian nurse in the MDHUs.

More specifically though, I am currently working in a hospital and have become frustrated with the attitude some of my colleagues have to work. Probably the best way of describing their behaviour is to say they are "slackers". They complain about working hard, avoid doing routine, boring or messy tasks and spend a lot of the time bitching about the management, their colleagues or the patients. Is this the case for staff in most wards in most hospital and most work places or are MDHUs and military medical facilities somewhat different?

I would think that the military would have less people with this attitude (though probably some) and the system would weed out those showing these characteristics. Please correct me if you think I am mistaken.

From what I understand, though the MDHUs have military wings and military personnel, most of the staff would be civilians. My question is, from first hand experience working in an MDHU or other establishment with a larger percentage of civilians than military personnel, do you find that the general attitude and work ethic is more positive than my experience in a fully civilian environment?

Further to this, I am wondering if I am going to be better off as a military nurse compared to staying in the civilian world? Do the opportunities and other parts of military life (like overseas postings, operations out of area, adventure training, sports, camaraderie and opportunities for professional development) make it worth joining up even if working in a MDHU is almost exactly the same for a military nurse as for as a civilian nurse?

hi, I also hope to apply as an adult nurse after finishing uni in August 2012. I'm attending a information session in June but wondered if anyone would be able to provide me with more info on the application process, how long it takes, what it involves, the interview etc? I visited my local recruitment office and they were not able to give me any more info as said I would get it at the presentation. I'm really keen to find out more about it, i know i need to have an up to date knowldege on the raf and a good level of fitness but any other tips would be greatly appreciated, thanks very much.

Good luck!