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  | Nursing Officers are commissioned members of the Canadian Forces Medical Service (CFMS). As a Nursing Officer, your primary duty will be to nurse sick and injured patients, not only in static facilities such as a garrison, base or wing Health Care Centre, but also in operational facilities such as a Field Hospital. Nursing Officers also provide preventive, occupational and environmental health care services.
For part of your career, you will work at a military out-patient facility, a military facility that offers in-patient care, or a civilian tertiary-care facility. You will also serve in operational units (the Field Ambulance, a Field Hospital and aeromedical staging units) and may be employed at national headquarters or at a training unit. You can also expect to be deployed overseas on an operational mission.
Depending on your interest, ability and motivation, a career as a Nursing Officer will offer you a wide variety of assignments, each with significant responsibilities and an important leadership component. When you are ready to progress in rank beyond Major or Lieutenant Commander, you will also be able to compete with Health Care Administration Officers and Pharmacy Officers for Health Services Operations Officer positions.
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 | Personal Characteristics
The Canadian Forces requires a special kind of professional: a physically fit individual who is socially adaptable and ready for the unusual and the unexpected. At the same time, he or she must be professionally versatile and capable of leadership in a variety of environments,
Formal Qualifications
You must meet Canadian Forces medical standards, and successfully complete a selection process that includes interviews and a wide range of examinations, including tests of physical fitness. You will be expected to meet Canadian Forces medical standards and to go through a selection process that includes tests and interviews.
Direct Entry Officer
To qualify for direct entry as a Nursing Officer, you must be a graduate of a Bachelor’s degree program in nursing at an accredited university and be licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse in a province or territory of Canada
Regular Officer Training Plan
The Regular Officer Training Plan (ROTP) comprises a full undergraduate education (to the Bachelor’s degree level) at an accredited Canadian university, followed by obligatory service in the Regular component of the Canadian Forces, commencing immediately upon graduation.
To qualify for ROTP, you must be enrolled or eligible for enrolment at an accredited Canadian University in a Bachelor of Nursing program. The obligatory service is two years for each year of sponsorship to a maximum of five years pay back.
Registered Nurse Education Plan
The Registered Nurse Education Plan (RN (EP)) is a plan whereby a registered nurse holding a diploma is enrolled at the rank of Second Lieutenant (2Lt) (Army and Air Force) or Acting Sub-Lieutenant (Navy) and sponsored for a Bachelor of Nursing degree, to be completed within two years of enrolment.
To qualify for RN (EP), you must hold a nursing diploma, be licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse in a province or territory of Canada and be enrolled or eligible for enrolment at an accredited Canadian University in a Bachelor of Nursing program. The obligatory service is two months for each month of sponsorship.
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 | Phase I: Initial Assessment and Basic Officer Training
Upon enrollment, you will go to the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, for Phase I of your military training, comprising Initial Assessment, in which you are introduced to life in the CF, and the Basic Officer Training Course (BOTC). During BOTC, you will learn the principles of leadership, regulations and customs of the service, and first aid. You will also learn safe handling of personal weapons, a requirement of Nursing Officers under the Geneva Convention so they are prepared to assist in defence of their patients. BOTC includes a rigorous programme of fitness training and sports, and is followed by second-language training for those who are not bilingual to the required Canadian Forces standard. On graduation from BOTC, Direct Entry candidates are commissioned at the rank of Lieutenant (Army and Air Force) or Sub-Lieutenant (Navy). Members who are not bilingual in both official languages may require up to 33 weeks of second language training which is also conducted in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec.
Phase II: Basic Military Occupational Training
Upon successful completion of BOTC, you will go to the Canadian Forces Health Services School at CFB Borden, Ontario, for the Basic Nursing Officer Course (BNOC). During BNOC, you will be introduced to the organizational structure and history of the Canadian Forces Medical Service and the unique circumstances of military nursing. In particular, you will learn the skills and techniques required for effective performance as a Nursing Officer in both the “static” environment of a clinic and in the field. You will learn what is meant by the “field medical environment”, and how to triage and evacuate battle casualties. You will also learn the duties and responsibilities of Medical Technicians, Physician Assistants and the other members of the military clinical team.
Finally, the BNOC syllabus covers instructional techniques to prepare you to participate in the training of your non-commissioned colleagues, especially Medical Technicians. You will develop your observation skills, and you will learn how to interview and counsel personnel.
The BNOC is followed by the five-week Basic Field Medical Service Course, which will teach you the duties of a junior officer in a field unit (specifically, to command a group of 40 people), and familiarize you with the various aspects of field operations.
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 | The Canadian Forces actively supports Nursing Officers’ efforts to maintain and update their professional skills, and you will receive many opportunities for professional development, including in-service training and attendance at conferences. You will be required to complete military courses in leadership, management, administration and instructional technique to assist you in your progress toward greater responsibility and higher rank.
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 | As you gain experience and demonstrate your potential and interests, you could be selected for training in various operationally required specialties including: peri-operative nursing, emergency room nursing, mental health nursing and aeromedical evacuation nursing.
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 | Nursing Officers usually work in civilian hospitals and military clinics. In the military clinic you work in a collaborative practice with other medical team members. In field medical units, the working conditions vary according to supply limitations and the circumstances of climate and the operational situation.
As in civilian facilities, the work schedule in each CFMS unit is designed to suit its functions, with eight-hour or twelve-hour shifts for personnel. Nursing Officers are usually subject to recall on short notice for exercises, medevac flights and emergencies, such as air crashes.
The intense concentration and effort needed to provide nursing care in varying conditions might result in mental and physical fatigue. Generally, however, the stress involved is similar to that experienced in a civilian community or hospital setting. In most assignments, the occupational hazards are comparable to those encountered in civilian practice.
The exception to this rule is an operational field unit, where Nursing Officers encounter the same hazards and conditions as the troops with whom they serve. When deployed on operations, you will encounter less-than-ideal conditions, and may find yourself living and working in austere circumstances. It is not unusual for a deployed Nursing Officer to work long hours, seven days a week, and if you are in a high-threat area you will be subject to all the hazards that may befall second-line operational personnel.
Appropriate training, environmental clothing and equipment are provided, and Nursing Officers’ health, safety and morale are closely monitored.
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