My daughter is considering joining the RAF to train to be a nurse. I'm a bit worried.?

Question

Would she be sent to war zones, how close do they get to the fighting. What is life like for nurse students in the RAF and what's it like when they qualify. How is it looked on when they return to ordinary nursing is it looked on as a bonus or not?
We are going to the armed forces careers info but would like some insider knowledge!!
Thank you

Answer 1

You have every right to be worried but she has every right to choose her own life and would hope for you support in her choice. Be proud that she wishes to serve her country in the way she has chosen. She could have chosen to fight and take life instead of saving it. If there had not been people like her in the past our present would be very different. I wish her good luck and a succesful career.

Answer 2

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RE:
My daughter is considering joining the RAF to train to be a nurse. I'm a bit worried.?
Would she be sent to war zones, how close do they get to the fighting. What is life like for nurse students in the RAF and what's it like when they qualify. How is it looked on when they return to ordinary nursing is it looked on as a bonus or not?
We are going to the armed forces careers info...

Answer 3

Raf Nursing

Answer 4

Hi, I'm ex army (infantry) and am now retraining as a civilian nurse, so I may be able to offer you some perspective on this.

First of all, if she wants to be a nurse, then it is a great career, but only if she goes for the military or chooses to emigrate. Life as a civilian nurse is going down the drain. (no jobs, crap wages, crap working conditions etc.)



RAF, Army and Navy Nurses are in high demand by the military and are treated much much better as a result. There are better career opportunities, better lifestyle, better pay, and she will be much more respected by both military and civilian staff than if she was a civilian nurse. Many NHS nurses transfer to the RAF and other military for these reasons, either that or they emigrate.

Also, she will be air force, not army. That means she won't face nearly as much 'danger' (for lack of a better word) and will be treated much better. Also if she has or is getting a degree, that's an instant officer rank.

Chances are that she may be posted to a civilian or military hospital here. Especially for her first tour. In time yes, she may be sent out to a theatre. But that does not mean she will be in direct danger. She will be in a military camp, guarded and surrounded by the best forces in the world.

If she does get sent out, then imagine the pride she can have in herself and her career knowing that she is doing something so exciting and so worthwhile.

Trust me, I know you will be worried as a parent, but the benefits for her far outweigh the risks.

Tell her good luck.

Answer 5

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Hi Laura, I'd recommend that you get your A-Levels first (If you wanted to go in as an Officer you need A-Levels). You'll have a better chance getting in and anyway, the more qualifications you have in life, the better. The RAF's a good life to be honest, you're not beasted like you would be in the Army and you're not sent to sea (unless your a Harrier pilot or engineer) like in the Navy. I know a few people in the medical trades and they enjoy it. The other thing I should warn you is that when you go to the AFCO (recruitment office), the guy or gal behind the desk may try to persuade you into going for another job. They do this because they are told to try to fill a slot in a trade. They'll try their best to persuade you to fill that slot, regardless of what it is. If you want to be a pharmacy technician don't let them persuade you otherwise. I know a few people in the RAF who went in wanting to be one thing, got talked into something else and have regretted it since. I was adamant I wanted to work on aircraft and I stuck to it. I got in as an Avionics Technician and am so glad that I stuck with it. Best of luck with your future!

Answer 6

Hello, Dave's brother Thomas here:

RAF Nurses are highly qualified and respected, both by the military and their civilian counterparts. Many NHS nurses transfer to the RAF for a better quality of life.

Everything in your life is taken care of by the RAF (housing, bills etc), but of course the flip side of this is that you have to take orders too, and go where they tell you. Female nurses are of course vulnerable whilst posted to a war zone, but females are never sent directly to the front line due to medical and legal reasons; however this DOES NOT mean your daughter will be out of danger- Military Camps are as much a target for enemy troops as our soldiers out on the front line. The danger actually comes from being on the road between camps.

This said she will not encounter direct fire nearly as much as, say, an RAF Regiment Gunner, but she should never say, 'it's OK, I'm a nurse, I won't get hurt,'. She may.

All in all (and call me biased if you wish), I say she should go for it. Your daughter will soon be fitter, more confident and more qualified that she ever has been before, and she will be much loved and appreciated by the men and women she serves with, nurses are pure gold.

Good luck!

Answer 7

I know earning money sounds great but perhaps looking at the long term may be beneficial. For instance if you do your A levels and get between 140-180 ucas points i believe it qualifies you to be able to enter at officer level which could earn you 20+ grand a year (not that you want to be). Also if you don't like the RAF, then your A-levels give you a back up plan because qualifications open up other opportunities. But ultimately its your decision

Answer 8

Hi, its natural to be worried, its part of being a parent, Many years ago as a serving soldier I had an accident which involved me, a tree and a faulty parachute, for the 5 months I was laid up I have to say the nurses kept up my morale, they are a special band of people whose training puts them high on anybodies list, when she comes out the world is her oyster, you dont get better training than that, as far as I remember they also serve time in civvies hospitals, once qualified they can be posted anywhere, when you take the "Queens shilling" you dont get a say in where you go, be rest assured though they are well protected. Good luck to her and her chosen career

Answer 9

A military career, especially in something like medicine is always going to give a good career footing. And yes, if war happens there is a very god chance she will be in the thick of it treating war wounds. It will be worrying, but on the other hand, if she understands the risk you should be proud to let her do something so brave. On the other hand, I don't think it's very likely that we'll see world war 3, so she's probably just as likely to get run over or have a car crash on the way to an office job as she is to die at war. Weigh up the risks in the real world and you'll find that maybe it isn't so dangerous after all.

Answer 10

I have no knowledge in the military but I can understand your fears, as I have a daughter who is now a police officer.
You don't mention her age, which does play a bit in the balance, still it is very hard to break their dreams.
The best thing you can do is to have long talks with her, check that she really knows and understand what she's getting herself into and that this will change her, for sure.
I asked my daughter," are you sure you can kill someone if you really have to?"
Also get as much facts as you can, the sad thing is this is their life and at the end, you can only hope and pray for the best. It is so hard to be brave when it comes to our children.
Good luck and take care.