Flight RN to NP

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Hey guys so I decided to go with the Flight RN route. I have roughly about a year of ED experience with 3 years of ICU under my belt. I got hired on and cannot wait to start but had a few questions. I am about to finish my NP school in June and start this April for rotor flight nursing. I plan to work as a flight RN for a year before I attempt to find a NP job (AM I MAKING A GOOD CHOICE?) Is it possible to work as an NP full time and an NP? I know I've heard that people do flight nursing part time with NP fulltime. Just wanted to see if anyone is currently doing it. Any advice for gear will highly be appreciated ( I will search through the forum too).

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

Hi there, I have worked and do work with many Flight RN colleagues who either work as an NP in addition to their flight RN position or have done so in the past. My advice to you would be to first get well settled in the flight specialty as it is 100% different in terms of the environment that you have experienced before and so will take at least a year to adjust to. There will be a steep learning curve so it would be inadvisable to try and learn to become a flight RN at the same time as becoming / working for the first time as am APRN. Most flight programs will expect you to give 100% to them for the first year at a minimum and I would not even mention that you are graduating as an NP when you interview as they might not hire you for that reason. Most of may colleagues who are also NP's , were flight RN's for many years before going back to school for their Masters, so were well established in the Flight specialty already. Also, any programs will require you as a RN too work for at least 1-3 years before they would consider allowing you to take a Part time/ Per Diem position for that very reason. 99% of Flight programs will not permit you to work in the capacity of a NP, so while you will have your education behind you, you will still be required to practice at the level of the RN and remain within the program's practice guidelines / protocols. It is very common for flight RN's to go back to school for their Masters (ACNP) at some stage , but usually do so after they are well established in this specialty . Best of luck in your future endeavors.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I can answer to the waiting to apply for NP positions - not a good idea in my opinion. When you start applying you will be an NP who graduated >1 year ago and has no experience yet who's education is not new.

Best wishes.

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On 4/30/2019 at 2:45 PM, traumaRUs said:

I can answer to the waiting to apply for NP positions - not a good idea in my opinion. When you start applying you will be an NP who graduated >1 year ago and has no experience yet who's education is not new.

Best wishes.

Hi, traumaRUs, thank you for the useful information!

Question here from an undergrad nursing student who was planning on taking the same grad school path as OP and wants to do both flight nursing and advanced practice:

Would it still be a bad idea or difficult to get a job as an NP >1 year after graduation with flight nursing experience if the individual was an ACNP wanting to work in an ED setting? Versus trying to get a job as an FNP in a family practice for example... Also considering they would have also had to have those 3-5ish years at least of additional RN experience in ICU or ED prior to that year of flight nursing?

Your words of wisdom are appreciated ?

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1 hour ago, drewseph92 said:

Hi, traumaRUs, thank you for the useful information!

Question here from an undergrad nursing student who was planning on taking the same grad school path as OP and wants to do both flight nursing and advanced practice:

Would it still be a bad idea or difficult to get a job as an NP >1 year after graduation with flight nursing experience if the individual was an ACNP wanting to work in an ED setting? Versus trying to get a job as an FNP in a family practice for example... Also considering they would have also had to have those 3-5ish years at least of additional RN experience in ICU or ED prior to that year of flight nursing?

Your words of wisdom are appreciated ?

Drewseph92,!

As stated TraumaRUS, I have seen many people do the same route. I have only been doing flight nursing for the past 4 months and truly enjoy it. You have to give 100% of your time through academy and after that there is continuing education each quarter. I just finished ACNP school the beginning of the month. I have spoke to many doctors and board members and they said that an ACNP new graduate who have experience with flight nursing looks good on the resume. As you had stated flight nurses will have 3-5 years experience in ED/ICU prior to even being hired. A new graduate ACNP who may not have many years of experience compared to a ACNP/flight nurse with a minimum of 3-5 years of acute care would be more appealing to a hiring manager in my opinion. But that’s just me!

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

IMHO I think NPs that wait awhile after graduation to start looking for a job are at a disadvantage when compared to recent grads. Just considering that the further out you get from NP graduation, the less you remember, would not make you a good candidate.

However, I do agree that flight nursing is awesome experience for an AGACNP.

Best wishes - let us know how it goes

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.

Some Critical Care Transport programs actually employ ACNP's such as the one at Cleveland Clinic: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/departments/critical-care. I met a colleague who works for them at a conference.

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