Job Title: Flight Nurse (Full Time)
Work Location: Hope, AR
Division/Department: Air Med
The Flight Nurse is a registered nurse and critical care transport clinician who provides safe, autonomous, evidence-based care to critically ill or injured patients across the lifespan. As part of an interdisciplinary transport team, the Flight Nurse assesses, stabilizes, treats, monitors, and transports patients by rotor-wing aircraft, fixed-wing aircraft when assigned, and ground critical care ambulance. Care is provided within applicable law, nursing licensure, Pafford Medical Services, Inc. policies and clinical guidelines, the program’s scope of care, and medical direction.
Essential Functions
Clinical Care
- Review transport requests and available records; receive a complete handoff; independently assess the patient; identify transport risks; and develop an individualized plan of care.
- Stabilize, prepare, and safely transport adult, pediatric, neonatal, obstetric, medical, and trauma patients consistent with the program's approved scope of care.
- Continuously monitor the patient, recognize deterioration, anticipate complications, and initiate timely interventions or medical control consultation as required.
- Manage advanced airways and mechanical ventilation, hemodynamic monitoring, infusion therapy, vasoactive and sedative medications, blood products, drains, tubes, and other authorized critical care therapies.
- Maintain continuity of care from acceptance through bedside handoff and provide clear, compassionate communication to patients, families, and referring and receiving teams.
Transport Operations and Safety
- Participate in mission briefings, risk assessment, crew resource management, and debriefing; promptly identify and communicate safety concerns.
- Follow aviation and ground safety procedures, instructions of the pilot in command, applicable FAA requirements, and program policies. This clinical role does not exercise aviation operational control.
- Perform equipment, medication, oxygen, battery, and supply checks; secure the patient and equipment; and maintain mission readiness.
- Coordinate effectively with pilots, communications personnel, EMS, fire and law enforcement agencies, referring and receiving facilities, and specialty teams.
- Complete missions initiated during the assigned shift when clinically and operationally appropriate, recognizing that mission completion may extend beyond scheduled hours and remains subject to fatigue-management and safety requirements.
Documentation, Quality, and Readiness
- Complete accurate and timely patient care records, medication and controlled-substance documentation, equipment records, and required operational reports.
- Participate in quality management, case review, peer review, safety reporting, performance improvement, clinical investigation, and research activities as assigned.
- Inspect, clean, restock, and maintain equipment, medications, supplies, and transport work areas; promptly report deficiencies and remove unsafe equipment from service.
- Protect patient privacy and comply with documentation, billing, regulatory, and accreditation requirements.
- Participate in education, simulation, community outreach, committees, and other activities supporting clinical quality, safety, and service readiness.
Education and Professional Practice
- Successfully complete initial orientation, clinical validation, transport safety training, and competency requirements before independent assignment.
- Maintain required licenses, certifications, continuing education, clinical currency, skills validation, and annual competencies for assigned patient populations and interventions.
- Demonstrate sound judgment, professional conduct, teamwork, cultural sensitivity, and respectful communication in routine and high-stress situations.
- Serve as a clinical resource or preceptor when qualified and assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
- Current, unrestricted registered nurse license in each state required for assignment and patient transport; additional state licensure must be obtained within the timeframe established by Pafford Medical Services, Inc.
- At least three years and a minimum of 4,000 hours of recent critical care experience in an intensive care unit or emergency department relevant to the program's scope of care and patient populations.
- Current American Heart Association BLS and ACLS credentials.
- Current PALS, APLS, or ENPC credential appropriate to the program's pediatric scope of care.
- Current NRP credential when assigned to high-risk obstetric or neonatal patients.
- Current trauma education appropriate to the role and program scope, such as ATCN, TNATC, TPATC, ATLS audit, or an approved equivalent.
- CFRN or CTRN certification must be obtained and maintained within two years of employment in the transport nurse role.
- Successful completion of pre-employment screening, clinical knowledge and skills evaluation, orientation, and competency validation.
- Valid driver's license and ability to meet company vehicle-operation requirements when driving is assigned.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
- CFRN or CTRN certification at hire; additional credentials such as CCRN, CEN, CPEN, or C-NPT consistent with assigned patient populations.
- Previous critical care transport, flight nursing, EMS, or prehospital experience.
- Experience in a Level I or II trauma center, tertiary referral center, or comparable high-acuity setting.
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Advanced assessment, critical thinking, prioritization, and independent decision-making in resource-limited and rapidly changing environments.
- Competence in critical care pharmacology, airway and ventilator management, hemodynamics, shock and resuscitation, trauma, neurologic and obstetric emergencies, and age-specific care within the program's scope.
- Ability to communicate concisely by radio, telephone, electronic systems, and in person; provide structured handoffs; and resolve conflict professionally.
- Ability to organize competing priorities, maintain situational awareness, and work effectively as part of a two-clinician transport team.
- Basic computer proficiency and ability to use electronic patient care, communication, inventory, and learning-management systems.
Physical Requirements
- Safely perform essential functions in confined aircraft and ambulance spaces and in hospital, scene, ramp, and outdoor environments.
- Regularly stand, walk, sit, reach, bend, kneel, stoop, climb aircraft steps, work in awkward positions, and push or pull loaded stretchers and equipment.
- Lift and/or move up to 50 pounds independently and assist with heavier patients and equipment using team-lift techniques and available mechanical aids.
- Possess sufficient vision, hearing, speech, manual dexterity, and depth and color perception to assess patients, operate equipment, communicate in high-noise environments, and complete documentation.
- Tolerate vibration, turbulence, motion, altitude-related pressure changes, temperature extremes, weather exposure, noise, limited lighting, and required protective and aviation safety equipment.
- Work rotating or extended shifts, nights, weekends, holidays, call periods, travel, and mission-related overtime while complying with fatigue and fitness-for-duty requirements.
- Work around blood and body fluids, infectious disease, hazardous materials, medications, and oxygen systems while following required safety controls.
NOTE: This description identifies the general nature and essential functions of the position and is not an exhaustive list of every duty. Pafford Medical Services, Inc. may assign other duties consistent with the employee's qualifications and operational needs. Reasonable
