Flight Nurse Job Description

Flight nurses provide complex care to critically ill patients.

A flight nurse provides emergent and non-emergent nursing care to a patient who is being transported by an airplane or helicopter. (Ref. 1.)

Types

Some flight nurses care for patients who are being transferred from one healthcare facility to another. Other flight nurses respond to medical emergencies on the highway and in hard-to-reach locations. (Ref. 1.)

Functions

Flight nurses provide complex care to patients who may be critically ill and unstable, including cardiac monitoring, administration of IV fluids and medications, and advanced life support. They have a good deal of autonomy, and a great deal of responsibility. (Ref. 1.)

Settings

A flight nurse may be employed by a trauma center or a branch of the armed forces. She may also work for a public or private transport company. (Ref. 1.)

Requirements

A flight nurse is an RN with either an associate degree in nursing or a bachelor's degree in nursing. Some employers require certification in critical care nursing, emergency nursing, flight nursing, and/or transport nursing.

Salary

According to Salary Wizard, flight nurses in the U.S. earn a median salary of $66,271 a year. (Ref. 2.)

References

• Nurse.com
• Salary Wizard

Resources

• Air & Surface Transport Nurses