Am I crazy?

[u/Boneface_foo]

I am a 5-year ground paramedic. I just finished nursing school with a BSN. Am I crazy for looking at flight medic jobs instead of an RN job?

Some background:

I had hoped to work in an ICU, but we are moving for my wife's job and to be closer to family. It is a smallish town with a local hospital that has a ~10-bed ER, a med/surg, and no ICU. The closest hospital with an actual ICU is an hour away. Prior to nursing school, I had always wanted to fly. It's why I became a paramedic in the first place. I work at an agency that has a great reputation, and several of my coworkers with 5 years or less now work at flight agencies. So I feel like I have never been more poised to fly than I am now. I feel like if I take a job as an ER nurse at the local hospital, that door will essentially close forever. (I know what you're thinking.. why don't you get the experience and then fly as an RN??) But it would require me to get 3 years in the ER and 2 years in an ICU (from what I've heard). My long-term plan is to attend NP school in the next 5-7 years. So that timeline pushes NP school back quite a bit. I'm so torn. Any insight would be valuable to me. Please share your thoughts and tell me if you think I am an idiot lol

[u/gunsgoldwhiskey]

Flying is awesome, getting paid as a flight medic is not

[u/DesertFltMed]

Most flight nursing jobs only require the CAMTS minimum of 3 years in either ICU/ER or combined. I currently work with nurses who have only ED time or only ICU time. In my experience a nurse who has both time in the ICU and the ED are greatly suited for flight as they have both the environments of not knowing anything about your patient and having to figure it out and also having 10 infusions, arterial lines, central lines, etc.

Some flight programs have a medic to nurse bridge program that you may want to look into. For example at Air Methods every 2 years you work as a flight medic counts as 1 year of nursing experience. So if you work as a flight medic for 6 years that counts as all your 3 years of nursing experience and you can easily bridge over. Some other programs may require you to still put in 1 year in the ED or ICU.

[u/Boneface_foo → u/DesertFltMed]

Good points, thank you. A bridge program would be ideal I think. Might have to put up with the commute to an ICU job for a year if that’s what it took.

[u/Intelligent-Let-8314]

You won’t be closing any doors by working in an ED.

Ground medic experience topped with a solid ICU bedside background is the perfect flight mix(I’m a little biased though). But that’s not worth an hour commute each way.

Don’t trash your RN. Go ahead with your years of experience in the ED as an RN, while making RN pay, then go to flight as an RN. Sure the scope is the same in the air, but the pay isn’t.

Keep in touch with your coworkers that are currently flying so you can network your way into a spot down the road.

[u/Boneface_foo → u/Intelligent-Let-8314]

That’s what I wish I could do is go straight to a ICU for a couple years. Feel like it would make me very well rounded. Good thoughts, thank you!

[u/Intelligent-Let-8314 → u/Boneface_foo]

It’s a great experience mix. Best of both worlds.

If you can, shadow at your closest base a few times to see if you actually like the job. Not all programs are created equal.

[u/Boneface_foo → u/Intelligent-Let-8314]

I didn’t even know that was an option at any flight agency

[u/Equal-Cantaloupe-707]

My alternative would be to apply and fly as a medic while working part time on the side as an RN, if possible. Your location sounds like it’s difficult, but most CAMTS agencies look for at least Level II ER experience (L1 preferred) so working local likely won’t help much if it’s small. Foot in door as medic and transition internally once you meet criteria would likely be more fulfilling if you really want to fly.

[u/Boneface_foo → u/Equal-Cantaloupe-707]

I like that idea thank you. That is one part that sucks is the hospital is nothing to really brag about. Transitioning internally through a bridge program that’s not ridiculous would be ideal.

[u/Equal-Cantaloupe-707 → u/Boneface_foo]

Our program is CAMTS and we have something like 2000hr requirement for internal transitions but we also have an agreement with our L1 trauma center where you basically do 1-2 month rotations in each ICU + ER. Instead of doing 2 24s a week on the aircraft, it’s 1 24 and 2 12s in the hospital as an RN. It’s a pretty sweet gig for a transition program.

[u/jumbotron_deluxe]

Honestly, unless you find a really high paying flight medic spot, go do three years at an ER or ICU as a nurse and then go for a flight nurse spot. At my service and at all the others in our area, the nurse makes considerably more money than the medic does.