Flight Nursing is the practice of nursing outside the hospital. I am sure many of you have seen Flight Nurses in action throughout various media venues such as "ER" and "Trauma: Life in the ER", but what do we really do?
What do Flight Nurses do?
The flight nurse is an experienced nurse with a clinical background in emergency, prehospital and critical care. We are responsible for the care, treatment and transport of a variety of patients including trauma, pediatric, cardiac, neonates and obstetrical emergencies. Critical thinking skills constitute one of the most important interventions flight nurses bring to the air medical transport. We constantly question, analyze and evaluate the whole transport process
Where do flight nurses practice?
There are various types of flight programs throughout the country consisting of rotorwing aircraft (helicopters), fixed wing aircraft (airplanes) or a combination of both. The type of aircraft depends on the mission profile and where you live. In areas of large populations such as coastal areas or the northeast the majority of programs are rotorwing. Areas like the southwest, Alaska and the Rockies have a combination of rotor and fixed wing programs. The type of program depends on the distance their patients are from definitive care. Typically if patients need transport to a tertiary care facility greater than 100 miles, a fixed wing aircraft may be used.
Are there physical requirements?
Yes. There are some physical requirements to become a flight nurse. You are working in sometimes extreme weather conditions (hot and cold), winds, heavy lifting of patients/equipment and are subjected to the physical element of flight (vibration/altitude/noise). Some programs do limit the weight of crew members. The physics involved in what an aircraft can lift (type of aircraft) may limit crews weight to 200 pounds or less. The issue is not discriminatory against those overweight or being tall. It is merely a law of physics.
Do you work alone?
No. You are always part of a team. A majority of flight programs consist of three (3) person crews. The pilot, flight nurse and one additional crew member (flight nurse, paramedic, respiratory therapist or physician) although some programs do only use a pilot and nurse team. The flight team has radio communication with a physician who provides medical guidance/supervision. An important and desirable aspect of flight nursing is being able to be autonomous. Many programs have established guidelines, policies and procedures that the flight team can institute without ever speaking directly to a physician.
Are you an Advanced Practice Nurse?
No. There is no certification/licensure for flight nursing but flight crews under the direction of state practice acts and certifications perform advanced procedures. Some procedures you may perform include: intubation, ventilator management, chest tube insertion, Intraosseous line placement, central line placement, Intraaortic balloon pump management, management of pacing devices, titration of vasoactive medications, pain management, administration of anesthetic medications for intubation, emotional care and family care. Many flight nurses perform these interventions routinely under the direction of a physician miles away.
What experience do I need to be a flight nurse?
Many programs throughout the country require that you are a Registered Nurse who has graduated from an accredited school of nursing, have a minimum of 3-5 years experience in critical care or emergency nursing. Some states such as Pennsylvania also require that you complete a pre-hospital course similar to a paramedic certification to practice within the state. Almost all the flight programs within the US also require Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) as well as a specialty certification such as Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN), Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) or Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN).
View this post on my blog: http://travelnursesuccess.com/flight-nursing-a-review
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