A flight nurse provides essential care to patients being transferred from the scene of an accident or one medical facility to another in a helicopter or plane. Flight nurses, a crucial member of a health support team, ensure that patients’ illnesses don’t deteriorate while being flown to facilities that offer longer-term care.
Certified flight registered nurses who care for patients carried by helicopter or aeroplane are known as flight nurses. The main duty of a certified flight registered nurse is to maintain patients’ stability until they reach their destination. Giving patients the attention they require before visiting a medical facility is satisfying, even though the task can be demanding and unpredictable.
What Does A Flight Nurse Do?
Flight registered nurses may administer first aid, perform CPR, check vital signs, or place an IV while the patient is transported. Patients typically have severe injuries or illnesses that require ongoing observation. Along with providing direct patient care, you can also keep track of patient records and other necessary documentation, ensure the right tools and supplies are always on the helicopter or aeroplane, and organise and update patient charts.
How Is Flight Nursing Different From Other Types Of Nursing?
The duties of an airline nurse are remarkably similar to those performed in an intensive care unit or emergency room. On the other hand, airline nurses perform this service in much smaller areas and under difficult circumstances that can include adverse weather, exposure to hazardous substances, and debris.
The primary distinction between flight nursing and other types of nursing is the workplace. Along with working in hospitals, you might also find employment with fire departments, medical transportation services, search and rescue groups, governmental organisations, and military installations.
Flight Nurses Salary And Career Outlook
According to Glassdoor, the average base pay for a certified flight nurse in the U.S. is $123,871 per year [1]. This is significantly more than the median pay for a registered nurse, estimated to be $77,600 in 2021 by the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) [2].
The US BLS does not specifically address this nursing speciality, although it does predict a 6% increase in demand for registered nurses between 2021 and 2031 [2].
