Color blind/hearing restrictions for flight?

[Trauma rn 1]

Hello there,

I've been following this site for a while but finally decided to post. I've been an RN for almost 4 years now, I believe I have great ER/Trauma experience from a very busy level 1 trauma center, I recently started in SICU at another Level 1 TC/University hospital. I already have my BSN, TNCC, CCRN, MICN, and am currently working on my CEN. My goal is to be a flight nurse, however, I am color blind (ishihara test, but can see normal colors ok) and have mild high frequency hearing loss. When I start a new job i get hastled slightly but have never had a problem on the floors. I've been worked up by an audiologist and need no special stethoscope or other requirements. I was wondering if anyone knows if I can still become a flight nurse, the flight programs in my area are Mercy Air and Reach.

Thank you in advance,

Edgar

[Medic/Nurse, BSN, RN]

There are some requirements - it is not discrimination - that employers have to have folks in the field that can see and hear to certain standards. It is not just being picky, it is a dynamic environment and safety is essential - not being able to hear or having uncorrectable visual loss - may prove it impossible to fly.

Check with the programs and be honest about your physical limitations.

It sounds like you have some solid clinical experiences and are well on your way from that angle.

Good LUCK!

:angel:

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

If you wanted to fly then color blindness would be a no go. The military will allow flight surgeons to have color vision deficiencies or so goes a manual that I read once.

I could see an agency preferring you not have a color vision deficiency, but as a passenger I don't think most would test for it. Just don't admit it.

I'm red-green color blind. If I weren't my whole career would have been different, and I wouldn't be in nursing school. Sometimes you take what you can get.

My goal in most of my life was military aviation. Can't do it. Decided on federal law enforcement. Can't do it. Became a local cop. Fake passed the color test. Would've failed the state police test. Got tired of dealing with domestics and back stabbing coworkers (and also paramedicked some on the side) so I'm in nursing school, lol. Yeah, I know...

[Trauma rn 1]

Thanks for the input. I know I can't be a piolet and that's completely fine for me, I just really wanna be a flight nurse. Still haven't been able to get a hold of the flight companies in my area so specific mercy or reach info would be greatly appreciated. Oh and for imthatguy, in my experience employee health is nicer if you admit your colorblind from the get go. Thanks

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

Oh and for imthatguy, in my experience employee health is nicer if you admit your colorblind from the get go. Thanks

How so?

[sir.shocksalot]

OP, as a passenger abord the aircraft you don't have to pass any sort of "flight physical". Pilots have strict FAA requirements and color blindness is a no-go. However since you aren't flying the aircraft you won't have any such restriction. The only physicals that are done by flight teams are general health physicals (can you lift stuff without slipping discs, and will you have an MI if you walk up 3 steps?), and height and weight requirements (will depend on the aircraft, i think its under 200 generally speaking, and unless you are basketball player tall you won't have to worry about height).

I'm not sure what Imthatguy was referring to with military flight surgeons and what not, the military has completely different requirements just to be let in regardless of what you will be doing, so their requirements are irrelevant in the civilian world.

[ImThatGuy, BSN, RN]

OP, as a passenger abord the aircraft you don't have to pass any sort of "flight physical". Pilots have strict FAA requirements and color blindness is a no-go. However since you aren't flying the aircraft you won't have any such restriction. The only physicals that are done by flight teams are general health physicals (can you lift stuff without slipping discs, and will you have an MI if you walk up 3 steps?), and height and weight requirements (will depend on the aircraft, i think its under 200 generally speaking, and unless you are basketball player tall you won't have to worry about height).

I'm not sure what Imthatguy was referring to with military flight surgeons and what not, the military has completely different requirements just to be let in regardless of what you will be doing, so their requirements are irrelevant in the civilian world.

I was making the reference because obviously their aviators are held to the same color vision standards, but noted that a flight surgeon, who performs physical evaluations for aviators, does not have to have normal color vision himself despite the fact that they may on occasion (or routinely) ride as a passenger in aircraft. That's what ImThatGuy was referring to.