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AFSC 46N4, Staff
AFSC 46N3, Qualified
AFSC 46N1, Entry

Specialty Summary. Plans, implements, and evaluates nursing care for DoD beneficiaries. Within scope of practice, provides professional nursing care, coordinates health services in an interdisciplinary and collaborative manner, acts as patient advocate, and advances desired health outcomes through patient and family education. Supports research activities. Related DoD Occupational Group: 6E.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Assesses health and needs of individuals and populations. Collects, records, and analyzes patient or population health data from preventive health assessments, health evaluation and risk appraisals, nursing history, health screening, and other sources. Uses data to determine nursing needs of individual patients and/or populations, including abnormal physiological findings, risk factors, and nursing diagnoses.

Identifies expected health outcomes. Involves the patient, family, and community in setting realistic goals to achieve desired outcomes.

Plans comprehensive care that delineates interventions to attain expected outcomes. Collaborates with other disciplines. Ensures nursing actions are designed to promote, maintain, and restore patient or population optimum well being. Incorporates teaching and learning activities into care plan.

Implements nursing interventions. Applies scientific knowledge to treat human responses to actual or potential health problems. Conducts group and individual health teaching for patients, families, and community. Monitors and records patient and population health status. Documents nursing actions and activities.

Evaluates patient or population progress to attain expected outcomes. Uses ongoing assessment data to revise diagnoses, outcomes, and nursing care plans.

Manages nursing activities. Evaluates clinical practice. Provides adequate staffing and supervision. Participates in and contributes to staff development programs. Serves as interdisciplinary consultant to determine action for improving patient care delivery.

Nurse Practitioners. Privileged health care providers who use critical judgment to perform comprehensive health assessments, differential diagnosis, and prescribe pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments in direct management of acute and chronic illness and disease. Promotes wellness and prevents illness and injury.

Clinical Nurse Specialists. Expert clinician and patient advocates in selected nursing specialties. Renders direct patient care, including assessing, diagnosing, planning, and prescribing pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment of health problems, health promotion, and preventive care within the specialized area of practice. Sub-roles include patient and staff education, research, and consultation. Serves as change agent to improve quality of care.

Specialty Qualifications:

Knowledge. Knowledge is mandatory of principles and practices of nursing.

Education. The following education is mandatory as indicated:

For entry into this specialty, graduation from an accredited school of nursing acceptable to the Surgeon General, HQ USAF.

For entry into AFSC 46N1D, a bachelor’s degree in nursing. A Master’s degree in Education or Nursing Education is desirable.

For award of AFSC 46N1A/B/C/H, full time enrollment in an AF-sponsored graduate level nurse practitioner course approved by the Surgeon General, HQ USAF is mandatory. For award of the 46N3A/B/C/H, graduation from a graduate level nurse practitioner course approved by the Surgeon General, HQ USAF, is mandatory.

For a nurse clinical specialist, a Master’s degree in a clinical specialty.

Training. The following training is mandatory for award of the AFSC indicated:

For award of AFSC 46N3E/F/G/J, completion of a structured training program in critical care, neonatal intensive care, obstetrics (labor and delivery, antepartum, postpartum), or emergency nursing.

Experience. The following experience is mandatory as indicated:

For award of AFSC 46N3/N3X, a minimum of 12 months of clinical or specialty nursing. Civilian clinical nursing experience or time spent in the Air Force Nurse Transition Program is creditable toward award of the qualified AFSC.

For award of AFSC 46N3D, a minimum of 24 months of clinical nursing, including 12 months as a staff development officer or medical group education and training officer.

For award of AFSC 46N3G, a minimum of 12 months of obstetrical nursing. Expertise is required in all three areas of inpatient obstetrics: labor and delivery, postpartum, and newborn nursery.

Other. The following are mandatory as indicated:

For award of AFSC 46N3A, certification by the National Certification Corporation for the Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing Specialties.

For award of AFSC 46N3B, certification by either American Nurses Credentialing Center or National Certification Board of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Nurses.

For award of AFSC 46N3C, certification by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

For award of AFSC 46N3H, certification by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

For entry into AFSCs 46N1E/F/G/J, possession of, or qualification for award of AFSC 46N

Specialty Shredouts:

A .......................Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner. Manages health needs for female patients from menarche through menopause.

B........................ Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. Cares for infants, children, and adolescents age 0-16

C.......................Adult Nurse Practitioner. Treats adult patients 18 years of age and older.

D ....................... Staff Development. Oversees and coordinates education and training activities. Administers unit educational programs, departments, and services or schools. Plans and directs activities to meet education and training needs. Collaborates and partners with other units and agencies to achieve education and training goals.

E........................ Critical Care. Manages complex nursing care of children and adults experiencing acute, lifethreatening illnesses or injuries.

F........................Neonatal Intensive Care. Manages complex nursing care of critically ill newborns.

G ....................... Obstetrical. Manages prenatal, perinatal, and postpartum nursing care to childbearing women. Manages newborn care immediately following delivery until discharge.

H .......................Family Nurse Practitioner. Manages patients from newborn through geriatric in age.

J ........................Emergency. Manages nursing care of urgent, emergent, and non-emergent patients presenting to Emergency Rooms.

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Above Information Derived from AFMAN 36-2105