This Nurse Didn’t Let Anything Get In The Way of Her Service

By Master Sgt. Chance Babin

In her 12-plus years of working at a Veteran’s Affairs (VA) hospital, newly-minted Capt. Jennifer McGuigan has heard many heart-wrenching stories from family members of those in her care as a critical care nurse.

There was one story in particular that changed her life and would eventually inspire her to join the Air Force Reserve - which, in fact, she did just a few months ago, at the age of 50.

Finding Inspiration Amongst Veteran Families

“Many years ago, I cared for a Vietnam veteran who had suffered cardiac arrest at home,” McGuigan said. “The first responders were able to get his heart beating, but he never did breathe on his own. He was brought to our intensive care unit (ICU), and we cared for him for about a week until his family decided to withdraw life-sustaining treatments.”

“While he was in our ICU, his father, who was a World War II veteran, shared with me how difficult it was for him when his son volunteered to serve in Vietnam. He knew firsthand what his son would experience, and even though it broke his heart, he felt he had to honor his son’s decision and support his desire to serve.”

Stories like this made McGuigan feel particularly close to the families of the veterans in her care.

“My kids are now old enough to join the military themselves, and even though they have not, I think of that World War II vet often,” she said. “I want to be able to help care for those serving our country, for all of those parents who have had to struggle through the same situation as that World War II vet.”

With her children grown, McGuigan decided the time was right to do something about her desire to help more military families. So, at 48, she set out to become a critical care nurse in the Air Force Reserve.

Beginning the Journey to the Air Force Reserve

“I had heard from friends in the Reserve that there was a need for critical care nurses,” McGuigan said. “My husband served in the Air Force for 10 years and loved it. When we discussed it, he was extremely supportive and excited that I wanted to serve in the Reserve.”

Next, she had to tell her kids of her plans and, to her surprise, they were equally supportive.

The Air Force Reserve does indeed have a dire need for critical care nurses. These nurses have an important mission during wartime and have also been in high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The need for critical care nurses was highlighted during the response to COVID-19,” said Col. Sherry Hemby, Air Force Reserve Command’s command nurse and career field manager. “Many patients diagnosed with COVID-19 had difficulty breathing and were placed on ventilators to assist in their recovery. Critical care nurses, with their amazing attention to detail, were needed to watch every minute. They assessed changes in their patient’s condition and reacted with the most skilled care.”

“They pulled patients through the COVID crisis. They held the hands of their patients when their family members could not, encouraging and cheering their patients on to fight for recovery.”

A retired Air Force colonel recommended McGuigan to Hemby, who reached out to the eager critical care nurse.

“I wanted to make sure she realized what was required for the job,” Hemby said. “When we talked about deployments, required training and physical demands, she was all in. She told me that fitness had always been important to her and she had no doubt she could pass the fitness requirements.”

Taking on a Lengthy Process

Master Sgt. Felicia Mintz, an AFRC health professions recruiter, was McGuigan’s recruiter for most of the process.

“Capt. McGuigan was wonderful to work with,” Mintz said. “She always had a positive attitude and was on top of anything I needed from her.”

While trying to process McGuigan, Mintz did run into a challenge: the age-waiver.

“Many times, the older leads are already in management/administrative positions and don’t meet the hands-on experience needed,” Mintz said. “As a Reservist, you need to be able to maintain your critical care certifications through your civilian employment. If you’re not working in a critical care environment, you will not be able to do this.”

Another challenge for older-than-usual recruits is matching the physical qualifications of service.

“It doesn’t matter what age the applicant is, they have to meet the same physical requirements for entry as an 18 or 20-year-old,” Mintz said.

“The process of joining was a bit like running a race,” McGuigan said. “A lot of it is mental endurance. Going [through the process at a] Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) was one of the bigger challenges. If I remember correctly, the paperwork went back and forth at least three times before I had my appointment. My favorite part of MEPS was when I was referred to as ‘a person of advanced age.’ That made me laugh out loud.”

In total, the process that led to McGuigan’s oath took more than a year and a half, but she never wavered in her desire to serve.

Ready to Serve Her Country

After 18 months of striving to join the Reserve, the day had finally arrived. McGuigan was sworn into the Reserve on June 6, 2020, via video teleconference.

“After all the ups and down, I think there was a part of me that wasn’t entirely sure it would happen,” she said. “After I took the oath and everyone started calling me captain, I think I giggled every time. It was such an amazing honor that Col. Hamby was able to do my oath by Zoom meeting and that my family and friends were able to be there.”

Mintz found inspiration working with McGuigan. Her unrelenting determination to achieve her goal is something Mintz feels everyone can learn from.

“Her determination is extremely motivating,” Mintz said. “Capt. McGuigan is a great example to the younger generation about perseverance. There was never any guarantee she was going to be able to join, but her mindset was to keep moving forward in the process until she either couldn’t go anymore or she was able to oath in.”

Now that McGuigan is officially a member of the Reserve, she is ready to do whatever is asked of her.

“I don’t have expectations other than to serve where I am most needed and where my skill set can be of the most help,” she said. “I will proudly serve in whatever way I can.“

This story was originally published on AF.mil. It has been edited for USO.org.