ccmedflight

The EXACT duties of a Flight RN will vary based on what type of flight nursing you are looking into, and within those duties EXACT is a word that you will rarely come by. If you are considering rotor wing, helicopters, your duties will range from on-scene ems type calls to critical care transports that will stretch any knowledge base you've compiled over any number of years. If you are looking at fixed wing, airplanes, you will cover the most basic transports at times, and have 10 hours of flight time on a critical patient at other times. If you are considering rotor wing programs, you will be limited to local transports for the most part. I worked for a pediatric specialty rotor wing service for several years, and even we were limited to about 180 nautical miles. That's a long, long way to travel in a helicopter, and nothing about those trips are any fun. If you are looking at the fixed wing path, you could end up at most any place in the world at most any time based on the program and their marketing reach. I am current with a fixed wing program that covers North, Central, and South America, Bermuda, the Caribbean, and we will also contract with another local provider to travel worldwide. There are no programs or academies for becoming a flight nurse. If anyone sells you that, it's a load of BS. The best way is to immerse yourself in the ER and Critical Care worlds of nursing. Work at a busy, urban facility that covers all areas from trauma to surgical to neuro to cardiac critical care. It's even beneficial to throw a paramedic certification and a part-time job running the streets in there. The experience you can gain there is invaluable to rotor wing, and it prepares you to think in a much more independent manner than any type of nursing will ever do. The pay sucks, but the time is worth it if you want to be a flight nurse. Schedules vary. Some rotor services work 24/48 or 24/72 schedules. My fixed wing company even varies within itself. I have some nurses on a M-F type schedule. I have others on a 9 on/5 off rotation. The salary is comparable to hospital pay for the most part. It is very, very competitive though. I hope this helps point you in a direction. I started my career as a paramedic, then transitioned into nursing. The world of flight nursing, both rotor and fixed wing, are hands down better than any in-hospital environment that you will ever find. You are free to do your job and you are expected to know how and when to do it.