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As a Nursing Officer in the RAF , you will be both a commissioned officer and a nurse . That means we will expect you to show leadership and management skills in a team environment , as well as providing excellent standards of nursing .
Most of your clinical postings will be in secondary healthcare , with the opportunity to do primary healthcare depending on your specialisation . You will provide care to RAF personnel ,
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members of other Services and entitled civilians . You could find yourself in a specialist unit in the UK or even 30,000 feet up in an aircraft on aeromedical evacuation duties .
Not all the roles open to you involve nursing skills – you could take on a staff job with no hands-on nursing at all . But there are always opportunities in a clinical environment , and new postings every two or three years will keep your nursing skills sharp and offer plenty of scope for promotion .
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ON THE JOB : NURSING OFFICER
FLIGHT LIEUTENANT
ANDOR
I joined the RAF initially as a student nurse and completed a 3-year degree in Adult nursing . Since qualifying as a registered staff nurse , I have taken the opportunities offered by the RAF and completed other professional courses ; gaining my mentorship and surgical specialist nurse qualifications . In addition to this I also decided
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to apply for my commission and was successful in 2017 .
I enjoy the unpredictability and spontaneity of my job ; no two days are ever really the same . I enjoy the camaraderie amongst the staff , military and civilians . However , most importantly , I enjoy giving care to those in need when others are not at their best , I am able to help them recover and recuperate . Nothing compares to the thrill and joy of caring , supporting and nurturing the sick back to health .
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I have been part of several Exercises in my time in the RAF , notably Combined Joint Atlantic Serpent ( CJAS ) Exercise , conducted in September 2014 where I worked hand-in-hand with United States medics to test and validate the UK ’ s Very High Readiness Capability . In 2018 , I was part of the UK team who attended Exercise Saif Sareea where the UK worked with the Omani Armed Forces to test |
deployable assets as well as the Operational Patient Care Pathway ( OPCP ). Operationally , I deployed with 34 Field Hospital to provide first hand care to Healthcare Workers affected by the Ebola Haemorrhagic Virus epidemic in Sierra Leone .
During my time in the RAF , I have been able to take part in a host of Adventure Training ; paragliding in the Welsh Valleys , mountain biking in Bavaria , and a sponsored staff ride to Paderborn , Germany .
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