Flight Nurse vs Flight Paramedic

Specialties Flight

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Until the other day, I had no idea there was a such thing as a flight paramedic. I thought all of them were flight nurses. What are the differences in pay and training of a flight nurse vs a flight paramedic? They both have the same job - to stabilize the patient for transport to a hospital, so how different can the training really be?

Thanks for the input!

Jeremy

Specializes in RN-BC, CCRN, TCRN, CEN.

Okay, so I've learned a lot since I started this thread. In order to be a flight RN, you'll generally need (as stated) 3-5 years of ER, ICU, and in some cases, Peds experience. Depending on the area/agency you work for

Jeremy

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Mat,

Seriously, find another phrase other than "Higher Medical Authority". You are wearing that one out and it's making you sound ridiculous. PS... There are CCEMT-P and CF-P certifications, and they are nationally recognized advanced qualifications for paramedics. Do a little research before you get on your high horse and start posting things over and over and over again. With your attitude, you are well on your way to becoming one of those nurses in the hospital that all the EMS personnel can't stand because they are condescending to the crews and unfortunately, those are usually the worst and least capable nurses. (the smart and good ones know better) As an EMT as you claim to be, you must not have worked very much otherwise you'd probably know that. PS... I work on a RN/Paramedic Flight team, where strengths of backgrounds may be different, but duties, responsibilities and expectations of knowledge and abilites are the same and don't have any complaints. I love my nurses! (no offense intended when I say "my" nurses. It IS a term of endearment).

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Specializes in RN-BC, CCRN, TCRN, CEN.
hurricanenikki said:
...I work on a RN/Paramedic Flight team, where strengths of backgrounds may be different, but duties, responsibilities and expectations of knowledge and abilites are the same and don't have any complaints....

Question:

If you need to intubate, who usually does it? I hear medic sometimes and RN others...

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We are both required to be competent at it... and are required to get a certain amount each...so both, but in my service, truthfully the paramedic is usually more apt or eager to...LOL

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Specializes in Flight/ICU/CCU/ED/Trauma.
JeremyNursingStudent said:
Question:

If you need to intubate, who usually does it? I hear medic sometimes and RN others...

I work in a RN/Paramedic flight program as well, and we have the same functionality as hurricanenikki's team: we are both required to do so many intubations per quarter, and we take turns, essentially. I don't know that'd I'd say our paramedics are more willing, or more apt (though our more experienced crew members are usually more apt, be they RN or medic) but it's a great system. I know that in some states and even some programs, RN's are not allowed to intubate unless they are dual qualified or advanced practice nurses (i.e. CRNA). South Carolina used to only allow paramedics to intubate in the field (I don't know if that is still the case), so many of their flight nurses would get their paramedic so that there was not only one person on scene to intubate.

I have gotten intubations my medic partner has missed. My partner has gotten intubations that I missed. It's nice to have 2 people available to share the responsibility with. It's a lot more comfortable taking away someone's respiratory drive knowing that there is more than one person here to shoot the tube...

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Specializes in Paramedic.
rghbsn said:
I work in a RN/Paramedic flight program as well, and we have the same functionality as hurricanenikki's team: we are both required to do so many intubations per quarter, and we take turns, essentially. I don't know that'd I'd say our paramedics are more willing, or more apt (though our more experienced crew members are usually more apt, be they RN or medic) but it's a great system. I know that in some states and even some programs, RN's are not allowed to intubate unless they are dual qualified or advanced practice nurses (i.e. CRNA). South Carolina used to only allow paramedics to intubate in the field (I don't know if that is still the case), so many of their flight nurses would get their paramedic so that there was not only one person on scene to intubate.

I have gotten intubations my medic partner has missed. My partner has gotten intubations that I missed. It's nice to have 2 people available to share the responsibility with. It's a lot more comfortable taking away someone's respiratory drive knowing that there is more than one person here to shoot the tube...

@rghbsn You said it pretty well. I am a paramedic currently working on the box still. I have have a lot of friends who work for the air service in my area. They fly Medic/RN here and it works wonderfully. Both are allowed to tube which in my opinion as well is a benefit! Two people who have the training and the knowledge of getting that tube is double the chance the patient outcome will be a successful one! My wife and I will be relocating soon and I am doing my best to get into the field. I can think of nothing else that will give me the satisfaction of knowing I am where I am suppose to be until I reach that goal. I was wondering as I am taking ccemtp this spring if there was anything else I should take as a medic? I currently will have 4 years ground experience as of this february. Thanks for any advice in advance and sorry if I misspelled anything lol spell check is a medics best friend!

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CCEMTP is not a bad introduction. In fact, the first two weeks of my flight orientation was the CCEMTP course. If you have a little money and time a few great online courses exist. The Wingfield Resqshop course and others are also certified as FP-C CEU courses. Obtaining your FP-C credential will also be considered an asset. In addition, getting critical care experience will place you ahead and may be the most important asset you can have if you want to fly.

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Specializes in Paramedic.

Thanks! I do work for a service that has critical care needs so that is a plus for me. Of corse I would in no way claim to have seen it all or know it all. I learn from each call I go on and try not to make the same oversites as when I was brand new. Thanks for the class ideas!

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Specializes in Flight/ICU/CCU/ED/Trauma.

Medic443 you have a PM inbound.

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I am currently about to take my EMT test to become certified. I know I'm at the very first step of this process but I want to be a flight nurse eventually. I start paramedic school in august from there I wanna do the fire academy and become a firemedic where I plam to gain ems field experience. After that become a flight paramedic then eventually a flight nurse. I'm 19 so I'm young enough to have a full career. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to go about getting hired as a flight medic or just advice in general?

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If you want to go the flight paramedic route first, you'll need the 3-5 years experience in a heavy volume 911 system, as said before. Get every specialty cert that you can and maintain them, not letting them expire. Take critical care courses too.

Then, when a flight paramedic position comes available apply. Hopefully you'll get it.

Then, to become a flight nurse it's going to be like starting at step one again, because you have to again have 3-5 years experience as a RN, either ED or ICU.

In my area ICU is looked at higher than ED. If that offends any of the ED nurses, I apologize. I was stating a regional fact, not my opinion.

For both positions, for your interviews, you have to shine! Again, you have to shine. I recently switched flight companies. I was told that over fifty people applied for the job. Fifteen were allowed to interview.

It will probably be the same case when you apply so bring your best. Being a flight ________ is the best job in the world. We are called to assist at the most destructive scenes and transport the most critically ill patients.

It is a very awesome and humbling feeling to know how much first responders, hospital staff, patients and their family members count down the seconds till they hear the sound of your aircraft approaching the scene or landing at their facility.

Both flight nurses and flight paramedics are jacks of all trades & masters of many.

Who gives a crap what procedure your respective state says you can or can't do, what medication you can or can't push? Who cares who has the final say so, if that's even the case in your respective locale?

Bottom line, make the right diagnosis, perform the right treatments and get the patient to definitive care. I think that if you are ever worried about anything other than those three tasks go back to riding in an ambulance or go back to watching the paint dry on the walls inside of a hospital because, I hope that I can speak for all of my fellow flight clinicians worldwide, no of us want you in the fricking aircraft.

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Wow, how "ridonculous", quite arguing and wasting time in life. Go save lives both of you! Cheese-n-rice! LOL

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