Flight nurses are registered nurses (RNs) who administer high-level care to patients on an aircraft in transit to a healthcare facility. In addition to having similar responsibilities to nurses in critical care and emergency medicine, flight nurses have further training that enables them to care for very ill and injured patients. Successful flight nurses are able to quickly assess, diagnose, and treat their patients with very limited time and resources.
Flight nurses are able to choose between a civilian or military career. Civilian flight nurses can work in either the private or public sector. Their patients are those who need to be transferred quickly by air to another facility with more resources. Civilian flight nurses can also work in medical evacuations, moving a patient from the scene of an accident to a healthcare facility. Military flight nurses are enlisted in some branches of the U.S. military. They are instrumental in stabilizing patients wounded in battle and caring for them as they are airlifted away from dangerous areas to safety. In either career path, flight nurses save lives.
What Does a Flight Nurse Do?
In addition to providing a sense of calm to their patients, flight nurses’ responsibilities can include the following:
Accurately and efficiently assessing patients in critical condition
Administering medications via multiple routes
Securing and maintaining the patient’s airway and ability to breathe
Resuscitating patients by administering chest compressions
Performing emergent invasive procedures
Recording information for the patient’s medical record
Collaborating with the flight crew and other medical providers
A flight nurse has a larger scope of practice than a bedside registered nurse. Certified flight nurses are trained in life-saving procedures such as intubation (placing a tube in a patient’s airway) and insertion of drainage tubes in the chest – procedures that are usually performed by physicians and some advanced practice RNs.
In a trauma or military medical evacuation, performing more advanced life-saving procedures with a team of nurses, physicians, or paramedics is common. Whether in a crisis situation or transferring a stable but critically ill patient, a flight nurse can assess the situation calmly and take appropriate action.
Flight nurses ensure that patients receive excellent care before, during, and immediately after their flight. The flight nurse coordinates care with medical teams on the ground and upon landing, providing information that is essential for the receiving team. Like other RNs, flight nurses perform nursing handoff by giving a report of the patient’s history, status, and interventions and medications received.
How Much Does a Flight Nurse Make Per Year?
Flight nurses make over $90,000 per year on average, according to glassdoor.com. Annual income most likely ranges from $77,000 to $165,000 for flight nurses in the United States. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurses reported a median wage of $77,600 in 2020. The Bureau does not report information on specific nursing specialties, but salaries will vary by location, education, and years of experience in all fields of nursing. Nursing wages vary greatly in the United States based on location, and nurses in urban areas generally have higher earning potential than their rural counterparts.
Flight nurses in the military are paid based on their ranks and time in service. Nurses in the U.S. military are paid monthly and may also receive stipends such as a monthly Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH). Military flight nurses are sometimes eligible for additional pay, such as reenlistment and war zone bonuses. According to the United States Defense Finance and Accounting Service (under the U.S. Department of Defense), the starting monthly base pay for an O-1, which is the initial officer rank in the U.S. military, is $3,477.30 a month, or $41,727 a year. Flight nurses with years of nursing experience may enter the military at a higher rank and pay grade, thus earning a higher base pay than new RNs joining the military.
Citation: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Registered Nurses, at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm#st (visited February 25, 2022).
Where and When Do Flight Nurses Work?
Flight nurses work on helicopters, propeller planes, and jets. These aircraft are equipped with the appropriate tools and equipment flight nurses and their coworkers need, ranging from basic medical supplies to mobile surgical suites. Potential employers of flight nurses include but are not limited to:
Emergency departments
Search-and-rescue organizations
City and state governments
The U.S. military
Research facilities
Specialized private clinics
Hospital trauma centers
Flight nurses may work part or full-time for their employers. Many RNs who are certified as flight nurses also work in emergency departments or other hospital settings. A full-time flight nurse may work up to 10 24-hour shifts over four weeks, whereas a part-time flight nurse may only work three 24-hour shifts a month. Some employers utilize 12-hour shifts for flight nurses. In settings with 24-hour shifts, the flight nurse and crew generally have some downtime when they are not actively flying or treating patients. They are ready and on standby, waiting for a call from dispatch to let them know flight services are needed and where.
How Do I Become A Flight Nurse?
After completion of high school, individuals must obtain either an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). A BSN is becoming the industry standard for professional nursing, especially for nurses working with high-acuity (very ill and injured) patients. A graduate nurse must then take and pass the NCLEX-RN examination to become a registered nurse (RN). Upon successfully passing the exam, individuals must then apply to the board of nursing in their state of choice to be granted a license to practice.
Civilian flight nurse candidates should build at least three to five years of bedside nursing experience within an emergency department, intensive care unit, or combination of critical care areas. Working in these high-pressure environments is crucial to developing the skills needed to be a successful flight nurse. Certification as a flight nurse is dependent upon successfully taking the certified flight registered nurse (CFRN) exam specialization offered by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing. If you are interested in joining the U.S. military as a flight nurse, you may pursue a different training and certification path. Please read more on Military Nursing here.
What Are the Benefits of Being A Flight Nurse?
A flight nurse saves lives. From delivering life-saving treatment at the scene of a car accident to maintaining a premature baby’s airway to administering multiple, continuous medications – all while flying in a small space – flight nurses carry a tremendous amount of responsibility. Flight nurses’ decisions can make all the difference in patients’ outcomes, and these decisions must be made efficiently and only with the resources available. Although flight nurses work under high pressure, their experiences and expertise can give them the immeasurable reward of saving lives.
Due to their specialization and skill set, flight nurses are very valuable assets to their teams and organizations. Experienced flight nurses can be very marketable and competitive in a job market that stretches from coast to coast and beyond. It is not uncommon for flight nurses to also work as RNs with patients in hospitals before, during, and after their flying careers. Between the public, private, and government sectors, flight nurses have excellent job security and opportunities in the air and on the ground.
What Are Other Emergency and Critical Care Nursing Careers?
If you are interested in flight nursing, you may also like to learn more about these careers:
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