How to Become a Flight Nurse
If you want to help people, are an adrenalin junkie, can trouble-shoot quickly, and love organized chaos, flight nursing might be a job for you.
What Is a Flight Nurse?
Flight nurses are registered nurses with additional training and skills specific to the job. They often work 24-hour shifts and can be located in rural communities or at a busy urban hospital.
Flight nurses pick up patients from either a scene or from a hospital. They are transporting and caring for a patient while flying them to a higher level of care or to a hospital that provides specialty services that the patient needs.
One aspect that makes a flight nurse different from a nurse that works in the hospital is the autonomy that a flight nurse has. A flight nurse works under the license of a medical doctor and is trained to perform advanced procedures and make medical decisions based on specific guidelines. They are not directly under the care of a physician as most nurses are in the hospital setting.
Job Requirements
Different companies have different requirements but here are a few that are common among all companies:
- Registered Nurse (BSN, Bachelor of Nursing preferred)
- Emergency Room or ICU Experience (3–5 years)
- Specialty Certifications (Basic Life Support, Advanced Life Support, etc.)
- Advanced Certification
Advanced Certification
The advanced certification for a flight nurse is the Certified Flight Registered Nurse certification (CFRN). If you are interested in becoming a flight nurse, you should consider studying for this exam while you are waiting to apply for the job.
Much of the information for the CFRN exam may be on the exam you will take before getting an interview. This will give you an edge. Also, if you already have this certification, this may put you ahead of other applicants.
How to study for the CFRN?
There are a few companies that offer courses to study for the CFRN. When I was studying for the exam, I took an in-person class with FlightBridgeED. This company offers both in-person and online courses.
Another company that offers the CFRN course is IAMED. This company offers online courses to study for your CFRN. Both companies are quality and worth looking into. They will also help you prepare for your pre-interview exam.
Flight Nurse Salary
The average salary for a flight nurse is $72,030 as of May 24, 2021 according to Glassdoor. Annual pay can range from $52,000 to $99,000. Pay differs depending on the company a flight nurse works for and the area of the country where they work.
Conclusion
The pediatric patients I cared for while working as a flight nurse will always stay in my heart. The long drives and sleepless nights were challenging but I’m glad for the experience I gained and the lives I touched while I was a flight nurse. If you are interested in becoming a flight nurse, feel free to reach out to me and I’ll give you my best tips.
xoxo
Becki
