Flight Nurse Career Description

Flight Nurse Career Profile and Description

A flight nurse provides emergency care during medical transports and also provides nursing care for patients at the healthcare organizations. Mainly, they take care of patients in helicopters and other modes of air transport. Beyond having a registered nurse certification, the flight nurses should also have relevant experience and certification in critical care nursing.

They work in a team, in the healthcare organizations and also travel to the locations of any type of accidents or natural disasters, in order to serve the injured persons. The job is both physically and emotionally demanding.

Flight Nurse Duties and Responsibilities

The essential duties and responsibilities of a flight nurse are as follows:

• Delivering nursing care to patients during emergency transports.

• Ensuring the safe transport of the patient to the appropriate facility.

• Maintaining thorough medical documentation of the patient during relocation or transportation.

• Maintaining psychomotor skills by participating in various laboratory operations.

• Maintaining proper documentation of the aviation and safety training, clinical rotations and the advanced procedures.

• Maintaining all equipments and supplies used by the organization on a regular basis.

• Participating in outreach marketing and educational activities.

• Assisting in the pre-mission liftoff checklist and assisting the pilot, as directed by the health personnel.

• Developing standards and guidelines related to the flight programs.

• Participating in the quality improvement activities.

Flight Nurse Skills and Specifications

The required skills and specifications are as follows:

• Capable of performing general nursing duties effectively.

• In-depth knowledge of physiological functions and their relation to specific patient care.

• Ability to multitask.

• Ability to prioritize task and to work under minimal supervision.

• Sound business knowledge and good judgment skills, in order to take good decisions in time of need.

Flight Nurse Education and Qualification

• Graduation degree in Nursing from an accredited nursing school.

• ACLS, PALS, BLS and NRP current licensure are preferred.

• Candidates having two to three years of experience in Critical Care Nursing will be given preference.

Flight Nurse Salary

The average salary of a flight nurse is $78,000 yearly.