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The "Nursing Officer" Merged Thread

  • Thread starter IamBloggins
  • Start date
nursesp said:
and I have the right to share mine.

...and i have the right to give my opinion of your opinion.

My point is that what happened to YOU, happened to YOU and is not a reason for someone else to join as a NO.

FYI I was at St. Jean for 15 weeks.

I've been in the CF for almost 20 years. What's your point ?
 
nursesp said:
I'm simply sharing my opinion. This forum is about reading opinions, and I have the right to share mine.

It is not comparable to driving a car, though I see your point that anything in life one does can mean injury or death.

If anyone wants to know more about my experience nursing/sustaining an injury during basic training please feel free to message me.

FYI I was at St. Jean for 15 weeks.

Just curious, were you by any chance a DEO NO and went thru the Mega fall '06 timeframe? 

 
You're right. This is the first time I've ever written anything negative online, or shared an opinion advising others what to do. To each their own, people can make their own choices for themselves. If someone wants to join, then by all means they really should. That's it, that's all I have to share for now. If anyone wants to know more about my time I'll gladly tell them.

Also, wiping an old man's butt is not all that nurses do. I take a lot of pride in my profession. And it can take me down many avenues. I don't mind helping the old folks, cause I know that I am doing a good job and helping those who feel helpless without me.

Have a great Easter weekend  :D
 
I'm super excited to learn about trauma and emergency nursing.  I can't wait to soak up all the classroom and practical experiences  - I hope I can get the best clinical experiences where I can put it all into practice.  How can I go to Sunnybrook? 

For my clinical phase training, is it better to work on a med/surg unit, or on a trauma unit?  Do you have to be a critical care nurse to work on a trauma unit?  If I get in, I was thinking of putting "no preference" for my clinical phase training in the hopes that they'll know best for me.

My only real concern is, given that MSCP is so short, will I be competent enough to function in a real "world" situation such as Afghanistan?

And finally, I know the first comment was negative, but that hasn't dampened my passion.  It's really weird.
 
mariomike said:
Rhetoric aside, 2011 was not a bad year for some pay cheque collecting, patient ignoring, civilian RN's :
http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/publications/salarydisclosure/2012/hospit12.pdf

Oh I know, I worked in Surrey Memorial Hospital for a few years, many nurses easily cleared $200k with minimal overtime. It's crazy.
 
Let's stay on topic folks.  Personal digs don't add to the topic.


Milnet.ca Staff
 
curious george said:
My only real concern is, given that MSCP is so short, will I be competent enough to function in a real "world" situation such as Afghanistan?

Yours, and every other medical professional that doesn't spend the majority of thier time dealing with emergency situations.

History has proven simulation tng and scenario practice, with the newly developed trauma tng program has allowed people to be up to the task when it comes up.
 
curious george said:
For my clinical phase training, is it better to work on a med/surg unit, or on a trauma unit?  Do you have to be a critical care nurse to work on a trauma unit?  If I get in, I was thinking of putting "no preference" for my clinical phase training in the hopes that they'll know best for me.

The clinical phase training is a balanced program.  You will get a taste of both emergency and med/surg.  All education is good education. If you need some ideas of where to focus your clinical training shoot me a PM. 

MC

 
Hello Everyone,

I'm seriously considering DEO entry this summer I'm writing the CRNE in just over a month from now. My main concern with DEO RN in the CF is that really you lose the whole acute care setting. I have absolutely no desire to work in a clinic or outpatient services. My reason for considering the CF for employment is I feel I will enjoy not only the military lifestyle but I love trauma/critical care and the military can allow me to work and thrive in this specialty area.

I've talked to a Major at the local Reserve Field Ambulance but he didn't really explain the day-to-day aspect mainly because it was in the Reserve and I'm interested in RegF. He loved to tell me about all his deployments and his responsibilities as a major  in the reserves( That rank is a far cry from the Lt. I will enter at after my training so its kinda useless info). Thus I'm familiar that to become a Resuscitation  NO, requires the course and that typically takes 3-5 years of time served to be considered for the course.

I would like to ask what the normal day-to-day life as a NO at the rank of Lt. and also what NO at the rank of  Captain is like, further more how often can I expect to actually work with acute patients and the opportunity to deploy ( not necessarily to combat theatres but also to say Africa, Haiti, UN sanction missions etc).

It has been recommend time and time again that NO moonlight at the local hospital for skills maintenance, I was wondering if someone could provide personal experience on the matter.

I've thought about entering the Reserves, however it would take at least 2 years and a lot of time off to receive this training. Considering I'm would be new to the profession it would not be feasible to expect to receive 3-4 months of during the summer when I don't even have my 90 days in.

Thanks,

dstevens.
 
Day to day life as a NO is dependent on where you are posted. Posting are currently on a 3-5 year cycle it seems. It is common in one posting to do 2 different jobs while in the same posting, especially if it is a 4 or 5 year posting.

There are five main employment areas for General Duty Nursing Officers:

1) Clinics, mostly as Primary Care Nurses in the Care Delivery Units (CDU) or as the Operations and Training Officer in the clinics,
2) Staff positions, largely administrative in the headquarters (Ottawa, Edmonton, Montreal),
3) Teaching, mostly at the Training Centre in Borden,
4) Field units, generally as a Platoon Commander, or Clinical Training Officer,
5) Embedded in civilian hospitals, this is a new an evolving concept for "high readiness" nursing officers.

This is not all inclusive but I would say 95% of the NO's fit into one of this groups.

As a Lt, you are mostly just trying to get qualified.  Basic Nursing Officer Course, Clinical Phase Training, and Basic Field Health Services Course.  You will also be in your first posting just getting your feet wet. Most Lt's work in clinics as PCNs or in field units. Some may get embedded as part of this new program, but this waits to be seen. Most Lt's work on their Officer Professional Military Eduction (OPME) courses as well, chipping away at them course after course. 

As a Capt, you will take on more responsibilities withing the five areas above.  Lead NCMs and other officers.  Experience + Competency = Responsibility. You will also have the opportunity to specialize in critical care, OR, mental health or flight. You can also stay a General Duty Nursing Officer. The specialties are  more clinically focused, for generally at least a five year stint after the apx. one year qualification period.

Unless you are employed in a CDU or in a embedded civilian hospital position, you are largely looking at only having acute care exposure during time attached to a civilian hospital under the Maintenance of Clinical Skills Program.  Most GDNOs are getting between 4-5 weeks a year.  Some less, some more, situation and motivation dependent. 

Deployments are dependent on the tempo of the day... some decades we are busy as stink, some are slow as sin.  In Bosnia / Afghanistan we have deployed many NO's... a number doing multiple tours. We are still deploying NO's (albeit more senior ones) to Afghanistan currently. Who knows what the future holds, but the world seems to be a crazy place.

Some NO's moonlight in local hospitals after they are done clinical phase training.  Keeps then more current, especially when MCSP does not seem to work for whatever reason. This is especially important when you are new as a RN and trying to consolidate skills.  Most NO's I know who moonlight do about 2 x 12 hour shifts per month, generally on the weekends.  Some do considerably more (generally the ones that want the cash and are in a job that allows them nights and weekends off, one I know of does 90-100 hours of moonlighting a month, but they are special) and some do less.  Most (if not all) Commanding Officers and senior nurses support the concept of moonlighting as long as it does not get in the way of your regular duties.

I hope that helps,

MC
 
What is a "high readiness" nursing officer?

OPME - are these the various trauma courses (beyond those in BNOC) lieutenant NOs take?

Can you extend your CPT to more than the usual year to get in as many hours as possible?
 
curious george said:
OPME - are these the various trauma courses (beyond those in BNOC) lieutenant NOs take?

No, they are professional development courses taken by all CF officers.
 
curious george said:
What is a "high readiness" nursing officer?

OPME - are these the various trauma courses (beyond those in BNOC) lieutenant NOs take?

Can you extend your CPT to more than the usual year to get in as many hours as possible?

A high readiness NO is one who is posted to A) a high readiness list or B) posted to a high readiness detachment of 1 Canadian Field Hospital, but ideally both at the same time. This is a new concept that is unfolding starting the posting season and will grow from this point forward.

These NOs will be working in civilian hospitals full time on various rotations in order to keep their skills sharp. They will also do all of the army stuff in order to keep them deployable on short notice, some on very short notice.  Some of these NO's will be on a high readiness list in support of potential operations while others will deploy while in these detachment on standing tours.  Estimated time in these detachments is 3-4 years (one posting cycle).  Four detachments are being set up starting this posting season co-located with major Canadian hospitals.

It is possible to extend CPT out of 13 months if there is not a service requirement to immediately post you or move you from the training list, to the trained effective strength list.  If you are required for service requirements and you are meeting your competency goals then CPT can be as short at 8 months.

OPME = Officer Professional Military Education.  These are courses all officers are supposed to do (regardless of MOS) while a junior officer.  It provides education in support of the Officer General Specification, a list of things all officers are supposed to know / be able to do.  http://www.opme.forces.gc.ca/index-eng.asp

MC
 
Presently I am 3 semesters and 12 credits away applying to the revised Douglas College BScN program. I plan on making an ROTP application in the near future.

I have gone through this thread and found many answers to questions that I have not even considered asking in determining my career path with the CF. While monetary compensation is a valid consideration, I place it on an equal plane as the life and leadership skills derived from being in the CF.

The questions I ask related to an NO being in the Canadian/B.C. nurses union.

1. Is an NO part of the Canadian Nurse's union?

2. If yes to question 1, how does CF service equate to hours towards pay scale tiers/seniority in the nurses union in the civilian world?

3. Does an NO pay Canadian nursing union dues?

4. What is the CF's policy towards bereavement leave? My Father is in his mid 70's and still kicks butt daily, though I worry.

5. Many in this thread have begrudged that paper pushing is a main stay of the NO's duties. What does the NO's administrative duties entail?


Thank you in advance to those who answered these questions

 
No member is the CF belong to any union as part of the CF employment.  Nor do any one in CF pay union dues. Your pay is according to the CF general officer pay scale.

In regards to compassionate leave from my personal experience with the death of my father and illness of my child , it's better than anywhere else.  For example with my father I received 2 weeks paid compassionate leave and I believe they pay for the flight home.  With my daughter's accident I received a month paid compassionate leave while she was in hospital.

As for you last question yes a number of nursing positions are more administrative but I'll let the nurses comment more on that as I AMA physician assistant.

Hope that helps
 
Thank you that clears up a lot. Though I am still wondering does any service hours from being an NO transfer to civilian nursing occupation.

e.g.: 1000 hrs NO service = 1000 hrs civilian nursing seniority.

Or does release from the CF mean that an NO will have to start a civilian occupation on the bottom of the seniority list.
 
CF NO's have been afforded seniority by civilian organizations based on their time nursing as a NO. The way it is calculated seems to be variable from organization to organization but is generally fair and if anything provides benefit to the NO.

I have never seen a CF NO who has separated from the CF start at the bottom of the pay scale of their new organization.

In response to your other questions:

As mentioned NOs are not part of any union but do have to hold registration as a nursing in the civilian regulatory body in at least on province.  The CF pays for these registration fees. 

Look at the pay scales on the CF website.  First 3 years Lt.  Pretty much automatically promoted to Capt, lots of room for growth as a Captain (11 pay incentives) with a top out of 98k or so.  Competitive promotion to Major.  This compares favorably to the civilian world, especially as a mid-range Captain and does not include the impressive compensation package (medical, dental, education, holidays, pension, etc). 

4. What is the CF's policy towards bereavement leave? My Father is in his mid 70's and still kicks butt daily, though I worry.

We have paid compassionate leave that can be granted at the discretion of the Commanding Officer. It is granted on the principle that the requirements of the service are met before being granted.  Service before self is a theme you will see.

5. Many in this thread have begrudged that paper pushing is a main stay of the NO's duties. What does the NO's administrative duties entail?

Administration is one of the four key areas of work for a Nursing Officer.  You are going to get a healthy dose of it in your career, especially if you want to progress in rank and responsibility / be promoted.

MC

 
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