OVERVIEW
What is a Flight Nurse?
Flight nurses play a key role in aeromedical transportation as they manage patient vitals and treatments. While most types of flight nursing jobs are similar, there is one important decision that these nurses need to make regarding their career: choosing between a civilian or military career path, which tend to be considerably different from each other.
Civilian flight nurses typically work for public or private hospitals or clinics. They often take part in Life Flight and other air ambulance operations to transport patients experiencing a medical emergency. This may involve transferring newborn babies from one hospital to another, moving critically injured patients to an intensive care unit (ICU), assisting with organ donation efforts, and more.
Military flight nurses are typically enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and administer care to military members in transit to a healthcare center. The duties of military flight nurses include transporting patients away from combat areas to field hospitals and transferring patients between hospitals. Military flight nurses work specifically with military members who have sustained battle injuries, and the conditions under which these nurses work are vastly different from those of civilian flight nurses.
RESPONSIBILITIES
What Does a Flight Nurse Do?
Flight nurses take the responsibilities of RNs to new heights—literally. As critical care specialists in the air, flight nurses provide advanced medical care during patient transport via helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft. Their role is crucial in providing high-quality care during critical moments of patient transport, bridging the gap between ground-based and in-flight medical services. Flight nurses may need to handle complex or high-intensity emergency scenarios like in-flight births, cardiac arrest, trauma cases, and other similar events.
Their duties encompass the following:
Patient Care
- Assessing and monitoring patient conditions
- Administering medications and fluids
- Performing emergency medical procedures
- Managing life support equipment
Team Collaboration
- Working alongside flight physicians when present
- Corresponding with flight paramedics
- Taking charge in the absence of a flight physician
Ground Coordination
- Maintaining constant communication with ground medical crews
- Ensuring seamless patient handoff upon landing
Equipment Management
- Preparing and checking medical equipment before flights
- Ensuring all necessary supplies are on board and functional
Documentation
- Keeping accurate medical records during transport
- Reporting patient status and care provided
Challenge Management
- Operating in confined spaces of aircraft
- Dealing with altitude-related physiological changes
- Managing care under increased time pressure
- Adapting to various weather conditions and turbulence
EDUCATION & BEST DEGREES
How Do I Become a Flight Nurse?
As you prepare for a flight nurse career, determine how far you want to take your education. More education and professional training usually translate to more opportunities for career advancement.
Becoming an RN is the first step to becoming a flight nurse since these nurses require licensure to qualify for flight jobs. The Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN) certification is a common credential for flight nurses that confers specialized knowledge in nursing at altitude.
WGU offers a prelicensure nursing degree program that enables students to become an RN and earn a BSN at the same time. Many hospitals aim to achieve Magnet status, which may involve employing nurses who are licensed and who hold a bachelor’s degree. Earning a BSN is a great way to make yourself more competitive for a variety of nursing jobs, including flight nurse positions.
A master’s degree in nursing can grant you an additional edge over the competition, potentially qualifying you for higher-level roles and an increased salary. Consider pursuing postgraduate learning or board certification to enhance your marketability.
Best Degrees for a Flight Nurse
Health & Nursing
Nursing (Prelicensure) – B.S.
A one-of-a-kind nursing program that prepares you to be an RN and a...
A one-of-a-kind nursing program that prepares you to be an RN and a baccalaureate-prepared nurse:
- Locations: Due to in-person clinical requirements, students must be full time residents of Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin to enroll in this program. The coursework in this program is offered online, but there are in-person requirements.
- Tuition: $8,755 per 6-month term for the first 4 terms of pre-nursing coursework and $8,755 per 6-month term for the remaining 4 terms of clinical nursing coursework.
- Time: This program has a set pace and an expected completion time of 4 years. Certain coursework may be accelerated to finish faster.
- WGU offers the prelicensure program in areas where we have partnerships with healthcare employers to provide practice sites and clinical coaches to help teach you and inspire you on your path to becoming a nurse.
- If you don't live in one of our prelicensure states or don't qualify to apply, consider getting our Bachelor's in Health and Human Services instead. This degree allows you to work inside the healthcare industry, while also working directly with patients who need help.
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Community Health
- Women's and Children's Nursing
- Pathology
- Physiology
- Research
Health & Nursing
Nursing (RN-to-BSN Online) – B.S.
An online BSN degree program for registered nurses (RNs) seeking the added...
An online BSN degree program for registered nurses (RNs) seeking the added theoretical depth, employability, and respect that a bachelor's degree brings:
- Time: The program is designed to be completed in 1 year.
- Tuition: $5,325 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 23 total courses in this program.
- Transfers: Students can transfer up to 90 credits.
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Healthcare Policy and Economics
- Information Technology in Nursing Practice
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Applied Healthcare Statistics
If you don't currently have an RN and don't qualify for your nursing prelicensure program, consider getting our Bachelor's in Health and Human Services instead. This degree allows you to work inside the healthcare industry in a unique way.
Health & Nursing
Nursing – Leadership & Management (RN-to-MSN) – M.S.
This program for RNs includes a BSN component and is a substantial leap...
This program for RNs includes a BSN component and is a substantial leap toward becoming a nurse leader.
- Time: 62% of RN-to-MSN grads finish within 37 months.
- Tuition: $5,325 per 6-month term during undergraduate portion and $5,035 per 6-month term during graduate portion.
- Courses: 32 total courses in this program.
Skills for your résumé you will learn in this program:
- Quality Outcomes in a Culture of Value-Based Nursing Care
- Nursing Leadership and Management
- Advanced Pathopharmacological Foundations
- Informatics for Transforming Nursing Care
If you're driven to lead, this online nursing degree will provide you everything needed to make that career a reality. This program is ideal for current RNs who are interested in earning both their BSn and MSN in an accelerated program.
Compare degrees
This program is not the only degree WGU offers designed to create leaders in the field of healthcare. Compare our health leadership degrees.
Health & Nursing
Nursing – Leadership & Management (BSN-to-MSN) – M.S.
For registered nurses with a bachelor's degree who are ready for...
For registered nurses with a bachelor's degree who are ready for additional career opportunities.
- Time: 61% of grads finish within 23 months
- Tuition: $5,035 per 6-month term
- Courses: 15 total courses in this program
This program is ideal for current RNs who have a BSN and are ready for the next step in their education.
Skills for your résumé you will learn in this program:
- Quality Outcomes in a Culture of Value-Based Nursing Care
- Nursing Leadership and Management
- Advanced Pathopharmacological Foundations
- Informatics for Transforming Nursing Care
Compare degrees
This program is not the only degree WGU offers designed to create leaders in the field of healthcare. Compare our health leadership degrees.
Health & Nursing
Nursing Leadership and Management – Post-Master's Certificate
A certificate for registered nurses with a master's degree in nursing who...
A certificate for registered nurses with a master's degree in nursing who are ready for greater responsibility in a leadership and management role.
- Time: Students typically finish this program in 12 months.
- Tuition: $5,035 per 6-month term. The cost to sit for the NAHQ Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) exam is included in tuition.
- Courses: 8 total courses in this program.
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Strategic Planning
- Resource Management
- Business Case Analysis
- Evaluating Healthcare Improvements
How Much Does a Flight Nurse Make?
$86,070
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average annual salary for RNs in May 2023 was $86,070. The lowest 10% earned less than $63,720 while the highest 10% earned more than $132,680. Flight nurses can expect to make similar earnings.
What Is the Job Outlook?
6%
The BLS states that employment of RNs is projected to grow by 6% from 2023 to 2033, which is faster than the average for all occupations. Flight nurses can expect a similar job outlook.
SKILLS
What Skills Does a Flight Nurse Need?
Flight nurses should practice both hard and soft skills to succeed in their role. Specific examples of nursing and leadership skills for flight nurses include the following:
- Neonatal resuscitation
- Pediatric advanced life support
- Advanced cardiac life support
- Prehospital trauma life support
- Ventilator training
- Experience with overnight and on-call rotations
- Knowledge of trauma and critical care
- Effective leadership under pressure
- Strong communication skills
- Flight experience
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No need to wait for spring or fall semester. It's back-to-school time at WGU year-round. Get started by talking to an Enrollment Counselor today, and you'll be on your way to realizing your dream of a bachelor's or master's degree—sooner than you might think!
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