I am still a student nurse but since I started my program I have been seriously considering flight nursing. I am more than considering it, thats what I want to do. I have been trying to gather research and network the best I can but I still have a few questions, and I am hoping someone can help.

1.Is it possible to become a flight nurse after 3 years in the ICU? From the research I have gathered alot of the websites say 5 years some say 4years but those are for specific private companies.

2. what can I do now in nursing school that can increase my chances of becoming a flight nurse? A lot of the time if a student wants to work on a popular unit right out of school they become a CNA or a secretary on that unit, but I can't really do that for what I want to do. Should I work as a CNA on an ICU unit or is their something else that would be better?

3. Is their a flight program for RN's? I read online that their is a flight nurse academy in Ohio but after reading further it states that it is specific for NP's.

4.most of my family is in health care (RN's, RT's, NP's etc) and they are having a hard time understanding why I would want to be a flight nurse because it is dangerous and the hospital that one of my family members works at unfortunately lost a flight crew a few years ago, which makes all of my points invalid when it comes to talking about flight nursing, my question is what is a good way to help them understand or to make them feel more comfortable about my future career (fingers crossed).

I am really passionate about this. I understand that part of the job is putting myself at risk and working in situation that are complete chaos. I want to be a beacon of hope for someone in a situation where hope does not exist, I want the patient that is being transported to look at me and know that I will do whatever I possibly can to help them. your replies are greatly appreciated.

As a former Air Force Flight Medic, I can tell you that in my opinion, Flight Nursing is overrated. Yes, it's glamorous and exciting. But it's also, depending on where you live, very hot, or very cold. It is also VERY cramped and loud. I think that the best experience you can probably get, and what equates most to flight medicine, is becoming an EMT and working in EMS. Doing chest compressions hunched over a gurney in the back of an ambulance gets old quickly. As a nurse, ICU experience is good, but ED experience is crucial, because these are the types of patients you will be in charge of. I'm not trying to burst your bubble, and if it's what you really, really want, then go for it. Just remember that for everything in life there are trade-offs and compromises.

Thank you so much for replying. I really appreciate it and it's good to get advice from someone who was up in the air. I have noticed that I enjoy working in chaotic situations and i find that I do better under pressure. I also am an adrenaline junkie and I enjoy fast past work that's why I am aiming towards flight nursing. I know that there are so many different options in this field, a lot that I don't know of. Do you know of any other departments that would be a good option for me? I was considering ED first but after doing research almost every set of requirements said that ICU was a necessity that's why I was wondering if I could do 2 years ICU then 1 or 2 yrs in ED. Thank you again for replying.

A friend of mine, currently working to get his Pediatric NP credential, went to work in EMS right out of high school. He was actually their dispatcher, became a paramedic, and went back to dispatching to better facilitate a school schedule while he became a RN. He worked full-time at a good sized ER, and moonlighted at a rural ICU. In a couple of years, he went back to his former EMS employer and got a job as a flight nurse/medic. He's a knowledgeable guy, and he loves the helicopter because his flights are infrequent and he has no direct supervisor bearing down on him. He hates the helicopter because he's often stuck in 48 hour shifts and misses his wife and twins. Having had a career focused almost entirely on serious, life threatening situations he's grown tired of sad outcomes. That's why he chose peds NP.

I'm just providing that story because flight nursing is dramatic. We all think it's cool. I have absolutely no desire on this Earth to do it, lol. Here you have a story of someone drawn to it and later repulsed by it.

A friend of mine, currently working to get his Pediatric NP credential, went to work in EMS right out of high school. He was actually their dispatcher, became a paramedic, and went back to dispatching to better facilitate a school schedule while he became a RN. He worked full-time at a good sized ER, and moonlighted at a rural ICU. In a couple of years, he went back to his former EMS employer and got a job as a flight nurse/medic. He's a knowledgeable guy, and he loves the helicopter because his flights are infrequent and he has no direct supervisor bearing down on him. He hates the helicopter because he's often stuck in 48 hour shifts and misses his wife and twins. Having had a career focused almost entirely on serious, life threatening situations he's grown tired of sad outcomes. That's why he chose peds NP.

I'm just providing that story because flight nursing is dramatic. We all think it's cool. I have absolutely no desire on this Earth to do it, lol. Here you have a story of someone drawn to it and later repulsed by it.

Thank you for the reply I do appreciate all feedback because I am still a student and I have no clue what to expect so all stories are welcomed because I would like to know what I am getting into.The reason I am considering it now and would like to get up in the air as soon as possible is because I don't have a family at this point in my life and I know that when I do decide to settle down that I would switch to a different type of nursing so that I could spend time with my family. My goal is to get a job at the children's hospital in my area that has a flight team that specializes in pediatric transport. although they are sent to trauma scenes the majority of the flights they are sent on are for transportation of a pediatric patient from a rural area hospital to a more specialized hospital.

thank you again for taking the time to read my post and reply, real stories do help separate the glamour from the reality.