< http://www.airforce.com >.�
< http://www.bls.gov/oco/ococ249.htm >.
< http://www.militarycareers.com >.
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| Jennifer Rackley | |||||||||||||||||
| To Table of Contents | |||||||||||||||||
| English 111-09 | |||||||||||||||||
| November 12, 2001 | |||||||||||||||||
| Career Analysis Paper | |||||||||||||||||
| Cross Into the Blue | |||||||||||||||||
| When I met my husband, we were in our first year of college and neither one of us knew what we wanted to do with our lives. When I became pregnant with our daughter my husband decided to join the Air Force to support us. I was still struggling with my career options when I became pregnant with our son. Now that our family is complete, my husband has decided to leave the military after his next enlistment is finished. I do not have a college education and could not assist him in supporting our family after he separates from service. With this in mind, I had to decide what career options were open to me in the time frame allotted. Naturally, I also wanted to do something I would enjoy and that would supply a substantial income. I chose to become a registered nurse, and, because the Air Force offers incredible benefits, I am also going to join the Air Force as an officer. | |||||||||||||||||
| To be a registered nurse in the civilian community, a person must attend at least a two-year college, and graduate from a RN program. To be a registered nurse in the military community, a person must have a bachelor's degree, attend Officer Training School, and attend Technical School to learn how to be a military nurse. To obtain a bachelor's degree usually takes four years. Officer Training School, which is boot camp for officers, lasts fourteen weeks or three and a half month. The technical training lasts an additional fourteen to twenty-seven weeks or three and a half to seven months. Combined, the training for military nurses lasts almost five years, as compared to the civilian nurses two ("Registered Nurses"). | |||||||||||||||||
| The criteria to become an officer in the Air Force are not only educational. There are physical, psychological and moral criteria as well. The person must be physically fit and maintain a healthy lifestyle in order to perform all tasks set forth by the military. The person must be free of any mental disorders, no matter how minor, that would inhibit his or her ability to carry out orders. The person must also hold him or herself to a higher moral code. When representing the United States there is no room for dishonorable behavior ("Job Opportunities"). | |||||||||||||||||
| Once commissioned by the Air Force, life starts to get fun. A 2nd Lieutenant, the rank of an officer just joining the Air Force, makes approximately the same pay as a Technical Sergeant who has been in the Air Force for eight years. The main benefits of military life, such as free housing and medical care, are available to all military, but there are fringe benefits, such as better parking and quicker service, that are only available to officers ("Job Opportunities"). | |||||||||||||||||
| The Air Force, as a career field, currently has jobs available and the need is high. There will always be a need for registered nurses, especially in the military. In addition the Air Force subdivides the category of registered nurse. Some of the options available are operating room nurse, nurse-midwife, and clinical nurse. There is the opportunity to find the right career within the field for every person ("Air Force"). | |||||||||||||||||
| The responsibilities that a civilian registered nurse has do not differ much from those of a military registered nurse. Nurses, in general, have direct contact and care of patients. Often there are several patients under the care of one nurse. In the doctor's absence, the patients look to the nurse for comfort and advice. In addition to care, a registered nurse usually has many administrative tasks. These can include reviewing and previewing patient's records, ordering and stocking supplies, and organizing other nurses shifts. | |||||||||||||||||
| Being a registered nurse, military or civilian, is a very high stress job. There is much to contend with and not typically much help. However, a military registered nurse might also have to ply his or her trade in a battlefield or in a remote part of a foreign country. He or she must be ready, at a moments notice, to be deployed.� Often, upon deployment, the military member is unaware of how long he or she will be gone, or what kind of conditions he or she will face. | |||||||||||||||||
| I have chosen this profession for many reasons. The most pressing reason is that I need to support my family and provide for their care. Beyond that, this career field offers chances to travel to exotic locations, to meet many different types of people, and to be exposed to a variety of cultures. I, personally, would not pass this up. Especially when Uncle Sam pays for all of it | |||||||||||||||||
| Works Cited | |||||||||||||||||
| "Air Force Careers - Medical." Air Force. 10 November 2001. < http://www.airforce.com >.� |
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| "Job Opportunities in the Armed Forces." Occupational Outlook Handbook. 14 July 2000. < http://www.bls.gov/oco/ococ249.htm >. |
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| "Registered Nurses." Military Careers. 10 November 2001. < http://www.militarycareers.com >. |
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