Flight Nurse

Specialties Flight

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Any nurses have experience in flight nursing? I am a recent new grad working on a surgical floor in a hospital. I'd like to gain some experience here and eventually move into flight nursing. Any tips or advice related to flight nursing and how to get into it would be appreciated!

You generally need to be a critical care nurse to do flight. Get a job in an ICU first. Learning advanced devices like the balloon pump is always a positive as well.

I am currently a flight nurse. Requirements may differ from program to program, but we require a minimum of 3 years critical care (ER or ICU) and 1 year of critical pediatric experience is preferred. In addition to being an RN, you need to be an EMT, at least one nursing certification (CEN, CTRN, etc). We also require TNCC as well as BLS, PALS, ACLS, NRP. Start with getting some experience in an ER or ICU. If I can answer any other questions, let me know.

Specializes in ICU, Trauma, CCT,Emergency, Flight, OR Nursing.

The MINIMUM amount of experience required is 3 years. As a Flight RN with 16 years experience and 21 years as a RN, the more experience you get in ICU the better practitioner you will be. If you work in a large, busy ICU you will learn to use all the technology available and not be intimidated when you have to transport a patient who is on sedation, analgesia, 3 pressor, 2 inotropes , insulin and heparin infusions , in addition to a Intra Aortic balloon pump or Impella, while monitoring their Pulmonary Artery pressure at the same time. Working in the ED will not prepare you for this. Go to as many critical care conferences you can attend (NTI by the AACN is a great one), join the Air and Surface Transport Nurses Association (ASTNA.org) and attend their conferences; do a fly along with a good busy program and speak to flight nurses there. The responsibilities that come with being a Flight nurse are enormous , as is the liability and that's why I stress getting as much experience, additional certifications and education before your embark on this super specialization area of nursing. When you do the work to prepare yourself, you will be rewarded with a career that is so satisfying that it never feels like work and you feel that you are really effecting tangible outcomes in your patient's lives. Best of luck on your journey.

Specializes in Emergency, LTC.

I start my new grad residency in a busy ED in a few days and was looking into flight nursing as well. I realize it varies by person but how many years of ICU (and ED) experience did you have before embarking this journey? I was planning on working 5yrs in my current ED then moving back to my family in TX. After I move I don't know whether to continue with ED for a few more years or start ICU. Advice is appreciated, thanks!

The preparation seems so overwhelming when you're just starting :)

The MINIMUM amount of experience required is 3 years. As a Flight RN with 16 years experience and 21 years as a RN, the more experience you get in ICU the better practitioner you will be. If you work in a large, busy ICU you will learn to use all the technology available and not be intimidated when you have to transport a patient who is on sedation, analgesia, 3 pressor, 2 inotropes , insulin and heparin infusions , in addition to a Intra Aortic balloon pump or Impella, while monitoring their Pulmonary Artery pressure at the same time. Working in the ED will not prepare you for this. Go to as many critical care conferences you can attend (NTI by the AACN is a great one), join the Air and Surface Transport Nurses Association (ASTNA.org) and attend their conferences; do a fly along with a good busy program and speak to flight nurses there. The responsibilities that come with being a Flight nurse are enormous , as is the liability and that's why I stress getting as much experience, additional certifications and education before your embark on this super specialization area of nursing. When you do the work to prepare yourself, you will be rewarded with a career that is so satisfying that it never feels like work and you feel that you are really effecting tangible outcomes in your patient's lives. Best of luck on your journey.
Specializes in ICU, Trauma, CCT,Emergency, Flight, OR Nursing.

Pocketsize, the requirements do seem overwhelming , but they are requirements for a very good reason. Essentially, as a Flight RN or CCT RN, you are practicing well out of the scope of most RN's and often practicing skills/ procedures/ making decisions which would normally be done by an Advanced Practice RN (NP/CRNA) or Physician , without having completed any of those educational requirements. So these extra requirements make perfect sense when you think of it in those terms. I would recommend that if you are in ED now; get another few years experience or after 2-3years in the ED, transfer to the ICU ( A busy surgical ICU or CardioVascular/Thoracic ICU are the best) and get a further 3-4 years experience there and you should then be suitably ready to take on the role and practice of a Flight RN or CCT RN.

While in the ED and then ICU, get all your basic certs like ACLS, PALS, NRP and try and get in to do the Transport Provider Advanced Trauma Course (TPATC) through the Air and Surface Transport Nurses Association (ASTNA) . While in ICU , definitely try to get your board certification in Critical Care Nursing (CCRN) as this will give you an edge over other applicants. Feel free to message me if you need any further advice.

Specializes in Emergency, LTC.

RickyRescueRN, Thank you so much for the amazing advice! I'll definitely bookmark this for reference and will message you.

Your response is the perfect starting roadmap. Thanks again!

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.Welcome to FlightWeb

You will literally find every question you have answered there.

That forum is not very active and when it was it had been mostly for Paramedics. The feel good nurses who commented left a long time ago.

Specializes in ICU, Trauma, CCT,Emergency, Flight, OR Nursing.

Yeah I would not recommend that site any longer. Not active and when it is , its usually paramedics making disparaging remarks about nurses and nursing. Just unprofessional. I think one will find all good information here.

I'll make every effort to check in regularly and answer as many questions that come up as possible.

Admire all flight nurses, flight medics who do their job! You learn so much and have to have great skills.

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