How to Become a Flight Nurse - RNCareers (2023)

FAQs

How to Become a Flight Nurse - RNCareers? ›

Requirements to Become One: Become an RN; obtain 2 – 5 years experience in trauma, emergency or intensive care nursing; obtain related specialty certificate training, such as Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS); obtain Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN) credential.

It can take anywhere from 5-12 years to become a flight nurse. Some can become a flight nurse in five years with an ADN and three years of experience.

After becoming a registered nurse, look for work in an emergency department, trauma unit or intensive care unit to gain the experience you need to work as a flight nurse. Most employers require nurses to have at least three to five years of critical care or emergency experience before hiring them as flight nurses.

In order to become a flight nurse, you need to have earned your RN from an accredited program, and most employers require a minimum of a Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN). You'll also need to pass the NCLEX-RN.

While the BLS does not differentiate between different specialties of nursing, ZipRecruiter reports that the average flight nurse salary is $81,093 per year or $39.00 per hour. Flight nurse salaries range between $64,000 to $99,000 with some making upwards of $105,000 annually.

What Is the Job Outlook for Flight Nurses? The job outlook for flight nurses is very positive, with the demand for their specialized skills and expertise projected to increase faster than the average for all occupations. The employment of registered nurses, including flight nurses, will grow by 6% from 2021 to 2031.

As a travel nurse, would I need to pay for my travel and housing? Travel is always complimentary before and after a completed assignment. Not only are they paid for, they're arranged for you too. All you have to do is pack and fly.

Cons of being a flight nurse

If you're a student, or you have a job, spouse, or children the schedule of a flight nurse might not be ideal for you. When you're on shift, you have to be ready to go anywhere at a moment's notice. You do have to lift the patients onto the stretcher and get them onto the plane/helicopter.

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.

Do flight nurses intubate? ›

In flight nursing, you have the same capabilities as you would in an ICU. Flight nurses can intubate, do rapid sequence intubation and put in chest tubes.

In order to practice as a flight nurse you will first need to earn a degree in nursing. You may qualify for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) by earning an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN, or ADN) or a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN).

How hard is it to become a flight nurse? Becoming a flight nurse takes 5-7 years. It also requires dedication to learning and practicing high-level nursing skills in critical care, resuscitation, trauma nursing, emergency nursing, etc.

A flight nurse specializes in providing medical care for patients during a flight. A travel nurses goes to different hospitals, helping provide care to patients.

They work alongside flight paramedics and pilots to provide rapid response medical care and life-saving treatment. Nurses and paramedics are not licensed to fly planes or helicopters. They work exclusively on board with patients.

About 60% of candidates who sit for the exam pass, which is a pretty good for a pass rate, but still low enough to show you that preparation is essential to your success on this test.

Travel nurses can bring in over $50 per hour, plus company-paid housing accommodations. Making it entirely possible for travel nurses to make well over $100K per year.

Even with the decrease, travel nurses can make nearly $200,000 per year, assuming a weekly rate of $3,080.

The estimated total pay for a Nurse at Delta Air Lines is $51 per hour. This number represents the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated base pay is $45 per hour.

The highest-paid flight nurses can be found in California while the lowest-paid flight nurses can be found in Alabama. Transport RNs in the Golden State average $122,190 a year, which is approximately twice as much as transport RNs in the Cotton State who make $61,050 a year.

How many shifts do flight nurses work? ›

If you're wondering how often flight nurses work, they work 24-hour shifts and typically 6 to 8 shifts per month. When on the clock, this profession can be very labor-intensive; however, flight nurses do not need to work as many shifts as staff nurses. Obviously, this is due to their longer shifts.

Regarding the maximum age, there aren't any specific limits that force a flight nurse to stop working. That is, unless the flight nurse becomes unfit for the job. Some flight nurses even work into their mid-late 50's.

It's a great option for those looking for higher-paying short-term work at various medical facilities. The average salary varies state by state for travel nurses based on demand and specialty. The top three highest-paying states include: Idaho ($151,203), Nevada ($149,196), and Illinois ($148,382).

We may be able to offer reimbursements for licenses, certifications, scrubs or other necessities you need to work the assignment. Your recruiter will provide more information. Are benefits offered? Yes, if you're on a full-time assignment, we offer medical, dental, vision and life insurance.

Flight Nurses earn 20% higher than the national average in New York, with an average hourly rate of $51.71 per hour. Flight Nurses also earn more in: Connecticut: $48.83 (13% above national average) California: $48.62 (13% above national average)

Is travel nursing still worth it? The average annual base salary for registered nurses in 2021 was $77,600, according to the BLS. Assuming a rate of $3,100 per week for 52 weeks in a year, theoretically travel RNs could make more than $161,000.

Study says: travel nurses are happier

Full-time nurses have it rough. Longer shifts, increased workloads and dangerous nurse-to-patient ratios are too common.

Many facilities are routinely scheduling back-to-back 16-hour shifts (permanent schedules) for their licensed LPNs and RNs. This practice leads to most of these nurses working 16.5 or greater hours and then returning for another 16.5 shift with less than 8 hours between shifts.

Most travel nursing assignments are around 13-14 weeks long, so as the travel nurse, you sign a contract with a travel nursing agency to work that length of time at a designated facility. While 13-14 weeks is an average length of time, there may be other assignments that are shorter or longer.

What is the longest shift for nurses? ›

The max number of hours a nurse can work in a row is usually 16 hours. Though many facilities will limit nurses to working no more than 12 hours straight.

Specific license requirements vary by state, but all states require the NCLEX-RN. Gain experience in ICU/ER nursing. Most flight nursing positions require at least three years of experience in an ICU, ER, or another critical-care setting.

Flight nurse wings were first established on December 15, 1943 and were awarded to women in the Army Nurse Corps who served at least 6 months in a AAF hospital and who completed an eight week training course approved by the Commanding General, AAF.

It depends. If the majority of your flight nursing shift involves providing direct patient care in a critical care setting, yes, you would qualify for admission. However, flight nursing would NOT qualify if you were providing critical care services in short durations or inconsistently.

A flight nurse who is an EMT also qualifies as a first responder. Otherwise, the simple occupational title of “registered nurse” is not recognized as a first responder.

Additionally, there are two types of flight nurses: civilian, who work for hospitals and trauma centers; and military, who work for the armed forces at bases or in combat zones.

The main difference between the two is that flight medics are trained medical personnel who are responsible for the medical care of patients. In contrast, flight nurses are registered nurses who have additional training in aviation medicine.

One of the most significant cons of being an air force nurse is that you may have to leave your family at times. You may often be required to go on deployments that can last for months at a time.

In the United States, the median salary of flight attendants is $44,000 with the top 10% receiving upwards of $72,000. In comparison, the median salary of nurses is $68,450 - average mean pay in San Francisco (the highest paid region for nurses in the world) is $139,700.

Between January to July 2022, the demand decreased by approximately 40 percent. And with that shift, travel nurse salaries also dropped closer to pre-pandemic pay rates. Yet despite these industry trends, many nurses still find travel nursing an appealing career path.

Why do travel nurses get paid more than regular nurses? ›

Hospitals use travel nurses to fill short-term staff and managerial positions. Travel nurses live away from home for 13-26 weeks per assignment. Additional compensation is paid to help offset related costs and difficulties.

A flight nurse, sometimes referred to as a transport nurse, is an RN who is specially trained to provide medical care to patients during aircraft transportation.

Flight nurses are registered nurses who care for patients transported in a helicopter or plane. As a flight nurse, your primary responsibility is to keep patients stable until they arrive at their destination.

Since they are commissioned officers, nurses enter the Air Force as Second Lieutenants, a rank with an annual salary of $41,720, according to 2022 military pay data.

Among the goals of orientation is to recognize when somebody is sick and intervene appropriately. Flight nurses need to be critical and creative thinkers, who can recognize when they need help and communicate well with the people on their team, Wolfe said.

The National Council Licensure Examination, or NCLEX, is a critical exam that every nursing student must take to become a licensed nurse. Passing the NCLEX is essential to begin your nursing career, but it is also one of the most challenging exams you will ever take.

Your exam score report will highlight the areas you should focus on to improve your score. If you fail the CCRN exam, you are eligible to retake the exam for a discounted fee up to four times in a 12-month period.

Your exam score is based on your performance on the exam, i.e., based on the number of exam items answered correctly (raw score). How many items do I need to answer correctly to pass my exam? Candidates must answer 108 of the 150 scored items correctly to achieve a passing score.

Flight nurses are responsible for checking vitals, keeping records, administering medication, performing medical procedures, and more. Often aircrafts will have flight physicians that nurses assist in caring for patients, but in the event that there is no flight physician on board, a flight nurse takes charge.