(Archived) United States Air Force Nursing

Fully Qualified (FQ)

Clinical Nurse (46N3). Clinical Nurses have a minimum of one year of registered nurse experience in medical surgical nursing. They must possess strong clinical skills and be able to manage multiple medical and/or surgical patients on an inpatient unit. Air Force clinical nurses work in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Upon selection, all work experience to be considered must be annotated on the AF Form 24 with a detailed description to be applicable for consideration when granting constructive service credit.

Critical Care Nurse (46N3E). Critical Care Nurses must have a minimum of one year experience as a registered nurse that includes at least six months in a critical care environment. This can include Intensive CareUnit,Medical Intensive CareUnit, Surgical Intensive Care Unit or Cardiac Intensive Care Units. They must possess extensive advanced knowledge and clinical skills and

be able to manage up to two critical patients at a time.

Neonatal Intensive Care Nurses (46N3F). Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurses must have a minimum of one year experience as a registered nurse that includes at least six months in a Level III NICU (the resume must clearly state Level III experience). They must possess extensive advanced knowledge and clinical skills to manage up to two critically ill neonates.

Below is additional information on the NICU levels:

Level I - Basic Neonatal Care - The minimum required for any facility that provides inpatient maternity care. The hospital must have the necessary personnel and equipment to perform neonatal resuscitation, evaluate healthy newborn infants, provide postnatal care, and stabilize ill newborn infants until transfer to a facility that provides intensive care.

Level II - Specialty Care Nurseries - In addition to providing all of the basic care listed above, Special Care Nurseries can provide care to infants who are moderately ill with problems that are expected to resolve rapidly and provide care to infants who are recovering from serious illness treated in a Level III NICU.

Level III - Subspecialty NICU's - Care for newborn infants with extreme prematurity, who are critically ill, or require surgical intervention.

Level IV - Regional Subspecialty NICU's (Level IV is a designation about the Level III, only found in a limited number of the states). The Level IV NICU's are often found in regional academic medical centers and can provide the most complex level of neonatal care, including advanced diagnoses and treatment of fetuses, preemies, and newborns with complicated conditions. A Level IV NICU signifies the highest level of care available for premature and critically ill newborns. To receive a Level IV designation all Level III capabilities must be met.

Perinatal / Obstetrical Nurse (46N3G). Perinatal nurses must have a minimum of one year of experience as a registered nurse that includes at least six months in an inpatient obstetric unit. This experience must include care of the pregnant female and unborn child prior to delivery, monitoring and care throughout the labor and delivery and care of mother and infant in the postpartum period. Resume/CV must list antepartum, labor and delivery, postpartum and newborn care experience. It is not sufficient to have only worked in one area. Solid labor and delivery experience is critical in this AFSC; 1 year within an inpatient obstetric unit is preferred.

Emergency / Trauma Nurse (46N3J). Emergency/Trauma nurses must have a minimum of one year experience as a registered nurse that includes at least six months in a level 1 or 2 emergency or trauma department. Emergency/Trauma nurses must possess advanced clinical knowledge and skills in assessing, stabilizing and treating all patients (infant through adulthood) with emergent medical illnesses or injuries.

Mental Health Nurse (46P3). Mental Health nurses must have a minimum of one year experience as a registered nurse that includes at least six months working in a mental health facility (Inpatient or Outpatient, please specify on resume/CV). Nurse should possess the skills and knowledge to promote mental health through the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of behavioral problems,

mental disorders, and comorbid conditions across the lifespan. Skills and/or knowledge should also include crisis intervention, self-harm and suicide risk assessment, and disruptive behavior and violence prevention and management, case management, treatment planning and psychopharmacological interventions. These nurses will work with patients and families in the inpatient or outpatient setting as part of a multi-disciplinary team. It is important to ensure mental health nurse applicants clearly state the setting, types of patients, and treatment interventions on their resumes. This will ensure their experience matches AF mental health requirements.

Perioperative / Operating Room Nurse (46S3). Perioperative nurses must have a minimum of one year experience as a registered nurse that includes at least six months experience as an independent perioperative nurse (aka: operating room nurse). These nurses must possess advanced knowledge and skills to prepare for a vast range of surgical procedures. Active duty nurses perform circulating room duties within the OR that include, but are not limited to: room set-up, surgical counts, overseeing/maintaining sterility, ensuring necessary equipment/materials are readily available, and intra-operative charting. Active duty perioperative nurses provide nursing care as an operating room circulator for the following surgical subspecialties: neuro, general, vascular, GYN, ENT, OMF, Cardio-Thoracic, ophthalmology, and orthopedic procedures. CNOR (perioperative nursing certification) is not required, but is highly desired.