Nursing in the RAF

I have been thinking of applying to join the RAF as a nurse when I finish my training in two years time (giving me one year to think about applying, I guess). I have a few questions that I don't really want to ask the careers officer (as they sound a little negative). Could anyone help me out?
1) Do you have to be really fit/ right weight for height to join as an RGN?
2) What happens if you get pregnant/ want to get pregnant?
Do you get maternity leave? Would I get kicked out of married quarters whilst on maternity leave (I will be married by that time)?
I'm not planning on having kids at the moment but 9 years is a long time!

Any other useful tips, advice or experiences would be appreciated.
Thanks.

Reply 1

Wzz

Jellybean191

I have been thinking of applying to join the RAF as a nurse when I finish my training in two years time (giving me one year to think about applying, I guess). I have a few questions that I don't really want to ask the careers officer (as they sound a little negative). Could anyone help me out?
1) Do you have to be really fit/ right weight for height to join as an RGN?

Fit enough! Not super-fit though, and to be honest specialists like dentists, doctors, nurses, padres etc. have slightly lower standards. You'll need to yomp around with kit but not as much as a pilot or engineer through officer training (of which you'll just do 8 weeks.). Being the right BMI ballpark helps.

Jellybean191

2) What happens if you get pregnant/ want to get pregnant?
Do you get maternity leave? Would I get kicked out of married quarters whilst on maternity leave (I will be married by that time)?

Whoa, it's not the 18th century! If you get pregnant, you work until it's not sensible; same as any other job. You won't be deployable and you certainly won't go on operations. At the end of the day, if there was a world war you might have to continue helping out at home, but no more than that.

You do of course get maternity leave. Your married quarter is a home ( a lot of them very very nice, actually) and you rent it from the Defence Housing Executive. You only have to leave it when you're posted (even then only when you've arranged somewhere new), retired, or left. They couldn't just kick you out for some spurious reason; no-one'd ever move in!

Drop me a line at [email protected] if I can help any more.

Reply 2

Jellybean191

Thanks for the info.

I've already started on the diet and fitness plan. I'm not huge, but i could do with losing a few pounds and getting fitter. I'm planning to apply about September. My course finishes April 2006 which sounds like a long time away but I've heard that it can take a few months for them to process applications/ do medicals etc. I won't be applying as an officer though as, although I have A levels, it says in the info that you have to have 2 years nursing experience (pity because my father in law lives up the road from Cranwell, lol, he was MT). I'll probably go for commission eventually.

Anyway thanks again and any more info that peeps think would be useful would still be appreciated, such as anything that I should swot up on for interview, what the trades training actually involves etc.

P.S. I've just noticed that the "I will be married by then" in my original posting sounds a bit hopeful, it's not, I have a long term partner and we would get married before I joined so that he could travel with me.