Careers

Career Description

Being a Neonatal Nurse is a challenging, exciting career, and being one in the Air Force is even more so. Aside from caring for the newborns of the men and women of the Air Force, you'll have the opportunity to perform aeromedical evacuation missions and assist in natural disaster relief. Plus as an officer in the Air Force, you'll be a respected member of the team from day one with the opportunity to further your education and training as your career progresses.

Career Tasks

• Work primarily in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
• Assess, plan, supervise and ensure that quality care is given to neonatal patients (ages 0–30 days) with multiple pathologies, including medical and surgical diagnosis
• Attend high-risk deliveries, as well as perform all functions of a medical surgical nurse while managing resources during multiple admissions and discharges
• Depending on the NICU to which you are assigned, you may care for infants on high-frequency oscillator ventilators or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and assist in neonatal aeromedical evacuation (transport) missions
• Responsible for using highly specialized equipment; assigning duties to subordinates; and providing psychological, social and educational support to parents and family members

Becoming a Direct Commission Officer

To ease your transition into the Air Force, you'll enter a five-week training regimen designed to educate you on the ways of both the military and military healthcare. You'll participate in physical conditioning five days a week, leadership training and classroom studies.