pre-nursing student seeking advice

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Starting my accelerated BSN program in January, and im wondering if there's anything I can do now during the next 3 months which would give me a leg up on the competition for getting a flight nursing job. Certifications... volunteer work... etc.. whatever!

Also wondering what things I can do while in the accelerated BSN program I can do to help become a flight nurse later on.

Planning on working in ICU once I graduated, but we'll see.

3 more months till school... and i'm very bored!

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I saw your lonely thread from October--

As of right now there is not much you can do to increase your chances of getting a FLIGHT nursing job. This position often requires 3-5 years of ICU/ER experience before you are capable of fulfilling the duties.

Right now I would concentrate on getting your foot in the door for that ICU job. Apply for student nurse positions at local hospitals- even if it isn't in the ICU. You may get to float to ICU and could transfer to that floor later.

Spend this time researching flight nursing and studying for NS(it isn't easy!).

You can also contact area hospitals. Many offer a ride along program that allows you to shadow a flight nurse and ride in the helicopter for a shift.

You can visit http://www.flightweb.com for more threads specific to this specialty.

Good luck in school!

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thanks for the reply! sounds good!

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Specializes in ED, Flight.

I agree in essence with the previous answer. If you really do have time on your hands, then volunteering with an EMS crew couldn't hurt. Besides, it's fun! Some places require their flight nurses to have at least EMT-Basic, though many do not. Since many air ambulance services do scene response, it doesn't hurt if the nurse candidate has a clue what that will entail. The thing is, they don't really expect the nurses to know much about pre-hospital medicine. They'll teach the nurse what they want them to know. The point of having a nurse is having them bring to the equation serious nursing experience - mostly from ICU environments. Most crews have nurses and paramedics partnered; so each is expected to compliment and supplement the other.

And yes, FlightWeb is a great place to see what flight crews talk about. The case reviews are especially interesting. Good luck!

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Well, I am in nursing school now (accelerated BSN), so I dont have a ton of time, but I'll look into volunteering/ride along for sure. Thanks for the link!

One more question, which type of ICU experience is preferred, if any? CICU, PICU... ?

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Specializes in Trauma 4yr Flight 8mn.

alot of services perfer you to have CVICU. But in my experiences, and i just started, i would say you learn sooo much more in MICU. If i were to go back and do it again i would have MICU. I came from 3.2 years Level I county trauma and i was a paramedic. Most services have a EMT-P or the RN is also an EMT-P which that training prepairs you for trauma and advanced skills. Paramedics are great trauma resources. But when you go to get you medical train wreck pt that is on 4 pressers and still has a bp of 50 that trauma experienc isnt going to help you. Your going to need your medicine knowledge. The old saying is that trauma is easy, and fairly easy to learn. Medical problems take many more years to master the tricks of the trade. Hope this helps. While your waiting you could try to get into an EMT-B program they are usually pretty quick and that can begin your knowledge into Paramedicine, especially if you have to get your EMT-P later anyway

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