What do I do to become a flight nurse

GardenerGirl · Oct 20, 2009

If you hope to be a flight nurse, and you are starting from little or no experience as a nurse, you have some work to do and some time to put in. You will not only need to be an RN, but one with several years of critical care experience under your belt. Even then, you are going to need to be one of the best. You are setting the bar very high for yourself. I hope you make it. Anything is possible.

FST6 · Jan 4, 2010

Here is a general outline that may help you prepare:

1. Complete nursing school (if you haven't already).

2. Find work in a good ICU. Spend at least three years there learning and working with critically ill patients.

3. Take ACLS, PALS, NRP, and TNCC (or another trauma course).

4. For a bonus, work two years in an ER on top of your ICU experience. The combination of this experience will be very helpful.

5. Get certified. Take your CCRN exam (or CEN, or hell, take both if you have ICU/ER experience).

6. If you have the time and want an edge on pre-hospital knowledge, take PHTLS and an EMT Basic course. If you are really a hard charger, you can go all the way to your paramedic certification, but it isn't necessary to become a flight nurse.

7. Most important of all, be patient. There is no substitute for experience. Do not try to rush it. Being a flight nurse requires quite a bit or learning and critical care time. When you put on that flight suit, all you will have to care for the patient in your aircraft is the medic by your side, the supplies in your bags, and the knowledge in your head. That is why the years of experience matter so much. Take the time to build your base knowledge and hone your skills.

8. Once you have all your ICU (and/or ER time) plus certifications, start applying to flight programs. Do not get disappointed if you don't get hired right away. There may not be any openings when you start looking. Just like iten #7, be patient. You may have to consider applying for flight positions a good distance from your home to get your foot in the door. When you do finally get an interview, get ready. You will most likely sit in a panel interview where your critical care knowledge will be assessed. The company is looking for good flight nursing candidates. They will have a pretty good idea after that interview if you know your stuff or not. When you get through the interviews and are given a job offer, that's when the training will begin. After that, congratulations! You have made it! You are now a flight nurse!

This is just an outline of what you can do. However you go about it, good luck down the road!

vsoto · Jan 15, 2010

do flight nurses get paid a lot more? what kind of companies hire flight nurses? Im active duty aircrew working on my RN. I would love to be a flight nurse some day. -VS

GilaRRT · Jan 16, 2010

Not really. I know large companies that pay flight nurses less than 20 bones an hour.

razorman · Mar 8, 2010

Some companies pay well, some don't. Metro services pay less than rural providers because the rural providers have to entice people to move to the sticks somehow. As a rule, most pre-hospital emergency services jobs pay poorly.

In a lot of cases it's a labor of love type of thing. But in exchange for being paid a bit less, you get to do something that not many people can/will do, you get almost absolute autonomy, and you'll get to see and experience things that most people can hardly dream of. Don't dismiss pre-hospital out of a lack of money. Give it a shot. If you don't like it, do something else (that's the charm of being a nurse). I bet you'll fall in love, though.

GilaRRT · Mar 8, 2010

Yeah, nursing like EMS loves martyrs for the cause. Companies pay their providers peanuts on the dollar to perform a job that is difficult, involves unconventional hours, a high amount of liability, and is inherently dangerous because flying is a privilege. While I absolutely enjoy flying, I do not buy the labour of love argument for poor pay. Of course in this economy I tend to complain a little less than years past.

razorman · Mar 8, 2010

Amen on the economy.

GilaRRT · Mar 8, 2010

Yeah, it's a tough thing. Fly safe.

Emendieta, RN · Sep 26, 2010

do flight nurses get paid a lot more? what kind of companies hire flight nurses? Im active duty aircrew working on my RN. I would love to be a flight nurse some day. -VS

Not really... :crying2:

bethieanne · Dec 14, 2010

FST6, thanks for the sound advice.

TraumaSurfer · Dec 31, 2010

Yeah, nursing like EMS loves martyrs for the cause. Companies pay their providers peanuts on the dollar to perform a job that is difficult, involves unconventional hours, a high amount of liability, and is inherently dangerous because flying is a privilege. While I absolutely enjoy flying, I do not buy the labour of love argument for poor pay. Of course in this economy I tend to complain a little less than years past.

You can not always blame the economy. For every Flight RN job announcement there are probably 20 that want the position. For Paramedics there might be 200 applying for each opening. There are too many eager people willing to work for low wages just to say they are "Flight" regardless of the risks.

To be competitive as an RN applying for a position, you should

1. Have your BSN

2. 3 years with 5 preferable of ICU and ED experience. The ICU experience should be a good mix of the different specialties and high acuity.

3. Have at least CCRN and/or CEN

4. Take the appropriate certs like ACLS, PALS, NRP and TNCC.

5. Get your EMT-Basic cert which can usually be done in about two weeks.

6. A few states or companies may want you to have a Paramedic cert which you might be able to challenge the exam or take a short course with just the things your nursing program did not cover.

I would also seek out a hospital that has its own flight team and work your way up from within. The pay and benefits might also be better as would the inhouse training opportunities. As an RN you do not want to be totally out of an ICU setting to stay current with the changes in patient care, medications and equipment.