Help! Questions about what to do once I graduate

[crazyemtchic]

I am currently an EMT and have been for 5 years. I am doing my pre reqs right now and will be starting the nursing program next fall. I also currently work in the prison as a certified medical specialist dealing with prisoners; giving out medications, drawing blood, etc. I have been asked by a lot of the nurses at the hospital to come work for them PRN as a CNA because they are desperate for help.

One of my questions is this: My ultimate goal with my nursing is to work on a helicopter (Life Flight, etc). I know most of our local crew and they have told me ways to go about this and how much experience is needed as an RN before you can get on with them. If I were to start working at the hospital as a CNA, and then transfer in as an LPN, will that help me in the long run with trying to achieve something like this?

I have read that a lot of grads are having problems finding jobs. Even though I wouldn't have experience as an RN when I graduate, if I had all the experience that I have (7 years as an EMT by then, 3 years as a CNA in the ER and a CMS in the prison for a few years, would that put me in a position to be more qualified to step into something like that?

I currently live in Idaho and am wanting to move to Arizona and transition all of this, but am reading in a lot of posts that people have a hard time finding jobs like this in Arizona. Any help that anyone can give me is greatly appreciated.

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

Good day, crazyemtchic:

RE: "experience is needed as an RN"

Keep in mind what they shared, and you should be ok. Keep in mind LPN experience is not RN experience and the like.

Thank you.

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

Minimum of five (5) years of ICU/ED/Trauma experience within the last ten (10) years. Current licensure and/or certification as listed below:

• RN license
  
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
  
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
  
• Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) certification
  
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification
  
• Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) certification
  
• Trauma Professional Advanced Trauma Course (TPATC) or Trauma Nursing Core Curriculum (TNCC) certification.
  
• Certification as a CFRN
  
• Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) or Critical Care Nurse (CCRN) strongly preferred until certified as a Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN)
  

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

No experience is bad, but not all of it is helpful.

Your past experiences may well help you as you grow along the nursing path, but none of it will matter much for your ultimate goal. What Don posted is a great summary!

As for moving, you might want to hold off on that for awhile; the job market is always changing and unless you have a specific reason for wanting to move, you might as well stay wherever you are. You can always relocate later, when you have IN HAND what the employer you're interested in wants.

Best of luck to you :)

[RunBabyRN]

Everything I've seen for flight nursing looks about like what Don1984 posted. At least 5 years of RN experience, including ICU and/or emergency, plus a ton of certs including ACLS, PHTLS, TNCC, CEN, CCRN, eventually CFRN... Unfortunately, CNA and LVN experience will not count as RN experience. A lot of us new grads with other healthcare experience are up against this as well (myself included). You'll have to get the experience you can once you're a RN, and hopefully utilize the connections you're making now to get a job where you can build your resume to make you desirable to flight nurse managers. If you can skip the LVN step, I would. Try to get your BSN, because that will make you more marketable as well.

[OnlyDreaming]

There is a company called Airmethods that has jobs in Arizona for helicopter flight crews. IDK about nurses but I would look it up to see their requirements.