AEROSPACE MEDICAL SERVICE CAREER FIELD

U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet
AEROSPACE MEDICAL SERVICE CAREER FIELD

1. Specialty Summary. Plans, provides, and evaluates routine patient care and treatment of beneficiaries to include flying and special operational duty personnel. Organizes the medical environment, performs and directs support activities for patient care situations, including contingency operations and disasters. Performs duty as Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)/Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), Independent Duty Medical Technician (IDMT), Aeromedical Evacuation Technician (AET), Hyperbaric Medical Technician (HBMT); Allergy and/or Immunization Technician (AIT), Special Operations Command (SOC) Medic, Dialysis Medical Technician (DMT), Critical Care Technician (CCT), or Neurology Technician (NT) functions. Related DoD Occupational Subgroup: 130000.

2. Duties and Responsibilities.

2.1. Provides, supervises and manages patient care of beneficiaries to include flying and special operational duty personnel. Performs nursing tasks. Acts as Primary Care Element (PCE) member and/or team leader. Front-line preventionist who identifies potential health risks and provides preventative counseling. Performs paraprofessional portions of preventative health assessments and physical examinations. Monitors and records physiological measurements. Orients patients to the hospital environment. Admits, discharges, and transfers patients as directed. Observes, reports, and records observations in patient progress notes and team conferences. Performs portions of medical treatment, diagnostic, and therapeutic procedures. Cares for, observes, and reports on pre/post-operative, seriously or critically ill, and injured patients. Records treatments and procedures rendered and observes effects. Performs postmortem care. Identifies patient problems and assists in developing and evaluating patient care plan(s). Assembles, operates, and maintains therapeutic equipment. Provides field medical care in contingency operations and disasters. Performs basic life support and triage in emergency situations. Serves as member of primary emergency medical response to in-flight emergencies and potential mass casualty scenarios for on- and off-base incidents. Operates emergency medical and other vehicles. Loads and unloads litter patients. Participates in contingency or disaster field training, exercises, and deployments. Assists flight surgeon with aircraft mishap and physiological incident response, investigation, and reporting. Augments search and rescue flying squadrons. Supports flight surgeon to develop flying safety and deployment briefings. Identifies medical conditions that may disqualify a member for worldwide duty and assists providers with initiation of physical profiles. Assists with oversight of grounding and waiver management follow-up systems. Obtains and maintains linen and supplies/areas. Disposes of medical waste. Maintains inpatient and outpatient medical records. Screens medical records for deployability and other medical administrative requirements. Prepares and submits administrative reports. Manages supplies and equipment, submits and executes budgets. Coordinates medical service activities with execution and clinical management teams.

2.2. Supervises personnel, conducts training, and schedules for duty. Schedules and/or conducts in-service training on procedures, techniques, and equipment. Provides required basic life support training. Schedules and/or conducts periodic disaster training, fire drills, and evacuation procedures. Provides training to medical and non-medical personnel.. Training may include areas such as emergency medical technician and self-aid and buddy care.

2.3. Performs duty as an IDMT at home station (sustainment training), deployed locations, remote sites and alternate care locations. Renders medical, dental, and emergency treatment; recommends and coordinates evacuations for definitive medical treatment. Performs pharmacy, laboratory, bioenvironmental, immunizations, public health, medical logistics and medical administration duties. Establishes preceptorship and provides forward area health care IAW applicable guidelines in an austere or bare-base environment.
2.3.1. Special Operations Command (SOC) Medics perform special operations medical support providing initial combat trauma stabilization, on-going field trauma care, and CASEVAC to definitive care.

2.3.2. SOC medics are ideally suited to Special Operations Forces (SOF) and Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) mission support for establishing bare-base encampments.

2.4. Performs aeromedical evacuation (AE) ground and/or flight duties. Performs pre-flight/inflight patient care and documentation. Provides emergency care for patients in event of medical and/or aircraft emergencies. Functions as an aeromedical evacuation crewmember (AECM). Prepares patients, equipment and aircraft for flight. Enplanes and deplanes patients. Loads and unloads baggage. Operates specialized aircraft life support equipment, medical devices and aircraft systems related to patient care.

2.5. Performs allergy and/or immunization (AI) duties.

2.5.1 Allergy: Manages immunotherapy care and performs diagnostic tests as ordered by physician. Prepares allergenic extracts and/or specific allergy treatment extracts. Performs allergy skin and anergy testing.

2.5.2. Immunization: manages computer based patient information. Performs tuberculosis testing. Administers vaccines IAW current guidelines. Provides emergency care for treatment of anaphylaxis. Provides patient education regarding expected reactions and proper post-vaccination care. Provide oversight of immunization processes and programs. Manages the Immunization Backup Technician (IBT) program.

2.6. Performs neurology duties. Assists physician with and prepares patients for examination, treatment, and diagnostic procedures. Assembles, operates, maintains and performs routine user maintenance of electroencephalographic and electromyographic equipment. Assists in performing special electroencephalographic and electromyographic procedures. Ensures appropriate care and storage of tracings and reports.

2.7. Performs critical care duties. Prepares patient with special equipment for transfers. Assists with examinations and special procedures including mechanical ventilation, cardiovascular and neurovascular procedures and dialysis.

2.8. Performs hyperbaric medical duties. Prepares patients and equipment for hyperbaric dive. Provides wound care debridement. Prepares hyperbaric chamber and properly positions patients. Functions as hyperbaric dive crewmember. Assists hyperbaric nurse or provider with patient care during dive. Provides emergency care for patients in event of medical or hyperbaric chamber emergencies.

2.9. Performs dialysis duties. Prepares patient and performs procedures using specialized renal dialysis equipment.

2.10. Performs LPN/LVN duties: Utilizes the nursing process for promoting and maintaining patient health. Provides disease and disability education, care, and evaluation of nursing care. Participates in and leads the planning, implementation, and evaluation of nursing care Performs assessment and analysis of patient health status, identifies health goals, recognizes subtle changes in conditions, interprets these changes, and immediately determines appropriate course of action.

3. Specialty Qualifications:

3.1. Knowledge. The following knowledge is mandatory for award of AFSC indicated:

3.1.1. 4N0X1/X1X. Medical terminology, anatomy and physiology; nursing theory, techniques and procedures; nursing assessment; team nursing; patient needs; emergency medical treatment to include cardiopulmonary resuscitation; aseptic technique; medical ethics and legal aspects; prescribed drugs/immunizations and their administration; population health concepts; operating and maintaining therapeutic equipment; and transportation of sick and wounded; risk management; military hygiene and sanitation; fundamentals of primary care management (PCM); preventive medicine and counseling techniques; physical examinations and standards, contingency operations, disaster preparedness and chemical warfare; flight physiology fundamentals; maintenance of the human weapon system; and operational readiness of the war fighter.

3.1.2. 4N0X1B. Neurological patient examination, treatment, and diagnostic procedures; -operation and user maintenance of electroencephalographic, electromyographic, and other neurodiagnostic equipment.

3.2. Education. For entry into this specialty, completion of high school or a GED is required with courses in general science, biology, psychology, and chemistry is desirable.

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

3.3.1. 4N031. Completion of a basic aerospace medical service specialty course.

3.3.2. 4N031B. Completion of a basic neurology technician course.

3.3.3. 4N0X1C Completion of IDMT Course and certification at the host medical treatment facility is mandatory. Current NREMT-B certification is mandatory.

3.4. Experience. The following experience is mandatory for the award of AFSC indicated:

3.4.1. 4N051/51X. Qualification in and possession of AFSC 4N031/31X. Experience performing functions such as care and treatment of patients, operating and maintaining therapeutic equipment, and properly administering parenteral immunizing biologicals.

3.4.2. 4N071. Qualification in and possession of AFSC 4N051/X1. Also experience performing or supervising functions such as nursing activities; care and treatment of patients; operating and maintaining therapeutic equipment; conducting paraprofessional portions of physical examinations; and assisting in medical treatment of patients.

3.4.3. 4N091. Qualification in and possession of AFSC 4N071. Experience managing functions such as medical and related patient care and administrative activities.

3.5. Other. The following are mandatory as indicated:

3.5.1. For entry into this specialty:

3.5.1.1 Qualification to operate government vehicles according to AFI 24-301, Vehicle Operations.

3.5.2. For entry into B shred, prior qualification in and possession of PAFSC 4N051/71.

3.5.3. For entry into 4N0X1C the following are mandatory:

3.5.3.1. Prior qualification in and possession of PAFSC 4N051/71 and 3 years experience practicing as a 4N0XX with two years of direct patient care time.

3.5.3.2. Normal color vision as defined in AFI 48-123, Medical Examinations and Standards

3.5.4. For entry, award, and retention of AFSCs 4N0X1/X1X, no record of emotional instability according to the provisions of AFI 48-123, Medical Examinations and Standards, which defines S-1 as "diagnosis or treatment results in no impairment or potential impairment of duty function, risk to mission or ability to maintain security clearance".

3.5.5. For entry, award, and retention of the C shredout, the following are mandatory:

3.5.5.1. Immunization Technician Back-up (IBT) qualification.

3.5.5.2. Qualification to perform duties at an isolated location according to the provisions of AFI 48-123.

3.5.6. For award and retention of AFSCs 4N031/4N051/51X/71X, certification from the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) as an emergency medical technician-Basic (EMT-B) is mandatory. After initial certification, continued certification is mandatory. NOTE: Individuals who posses a current State EMT-Paramedic or NREMT-Paramedic certification exceed the NREMT-B requirement and are not required to also maintain a NREMT-B certification.

3.5.7. For award and retention of AFSCs 4N051/51X/71/71X/91/00 must maintain an Air Force Network License according to AFI 33-115, Vol 2, Licensing Network Users and Certifying Network Professionals.