Flight Nurse

Job Description:

The Flight Nurse I provides advanced, autonomous medical care to critically ill or injured patients during air and ground transport. This position demonstrates exceptional critical thinking, technical skills, and collaboration with healthcare professionals in dynamic and often non-traditional settings. Flight Nurse I is responsible for patient care, operational readiness, and contributing to the overall quality of the transport program.

Essential Functions

• Provides advanced life support, critical care, and patient stabilization during air and ground transport, ensuring compliance with medical protocols and safety standards.
• Assesses and stabilizes critically ill or injured patients using critical thinking and autonomous decision-making in high-pressure environments.
• Performs pre-hospital, interfacility, and in-transport advanced life support, including airway management, cardiac care, and medication administration.
• Maintains and prepares medical equipment, ensures readiness for transport, and documents patient care accurately and thoroughly.
• Collaborates effectively with healthcare teams, patients, and families to ensure clear communication and continuity of care during transport.
• Adheres to safety protocols, including scene safety, air medical transport procedures, and management of altitude-related physiological challenges.
• Meets all physical, technical, and certification requirements, with a commitment to continuous professional development and obtaining CFRN certification within two years of hire or appropriate certification per specialty e.g., CNPT if Peds/NICU.

Skills

• Patient Care
• Medical Procedures
• Medical Knowledge
• Patient Evaluations
• Emergency Medical Services
• Emergency Care
• Critical Care
• Critical Thinking
• Decision Making Under Pressure
• Communication / Teamwork

Minimum Qualifications 

• Current RN License in state of practice. 
• Basic Life Support certification (BLS) for healthcare providers, Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). 
• Must obtain Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) certification within 120 days of hire. 
• Must obtain certification in trauma care (e.g., TNATC, ATLS, PHTLS, TNCC) within one year of hire, or earlier if required by the state of operation. 
• Must obtain CFRN certification within two (2) years of hire. 
• Demonstrated emergency room or critical care experience.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing. 
• Bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) from an accredited institution (degree will be verified). Registered Nurses (RNs) hired or promoted into this role must obtain their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) within four years of their hire or promotion date. If there is an existing education agreement, that agreement will take precedence. 

* Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is required as of the job description's last update July 2025. Employees hired or promoted prior to this date will be held to the minimum requirements that were in place at the time of their promotion or hire. 

  

Preferred Qualifications  

• Five (5) or more years of diverse critical care experience across various ICU specialties. 
• Compact nursing license 
• Advanced certification in trauma care (e.g., TNATC, ATLS, PHTLS, TNCC). 
• Demonstrated experience in mentoring or training healthcare team members 
• Familiarity with advanced medical technologies and ICU-level care during transport. 

Physical Requirements 

• Must meet a pre-hire weight of less than 216 lbs by interview and maintain weight restrictions within policy. 
• Capability to work in confined spaces, high-stress environments, and extreme conditions including noise, vibration, temperature, and altitude. 
• Ability to pass annual physical health assessments and maintain stamina for long shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays. 
• Ongoing need for employee to see and read information, labels, assess patient needs, operate monitors, identify equipment and supplies. 
• Frequent interactions with patient care providers, patients, and visitors that require employee to verbally communicate as well as hear and understand spoken information, alarms, needs, and issues quickly and accurately, particularly during emergency situations. 
• Manual dexterity of hands and fingers to manipulate complex and delicate equipment with precision and accuracy. This includes frequent computer use and typing for documenting patient care, accessing needed information, medication preparation, etc. 
• Expected to lift and utilize full range of movement to transfer patients. Will also bend to retrieve, lift, and carry supplies and equipment. Typically includes items of varying weights, up to and including heavy items. 
• Need to walk and assist with transporting/ambulating patients and obtaining and distributing supplies and equipment. This includes pushing/pulling gurneys and portable equipment, including heavy items. Often required to navigate crowded and busy rooms (full of equipment, power cords on the floor, etc.) 
• May be expected to stand in a stationary position for an extended period of time. 
• For roles requiring driving: Expected to drive a vehicle which requires sitting, seeing, and reading signs, traffic signals, and other vehicles.  

Location:

Cortez Air Base, Pagosa Springs Air Base

Work City:

Cortez

Work State:

Colorado

Scheduled Weekly Hours:

44.31

The hourly range for this position is listed below. Actual hourly rate dependent upon experience. 

$40.39 - $60.96

We care about your well-being – mind, body, and spirit – which is why we provide our caregivers a generous benefits package that covers a wide range of programs to foster a sustainable culture of wellness that encompasses living healthy, happy, secure, connected, and engaged.

Learn more about our comprehensive benefits package here.

Intermountain Health is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

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All positions subject to close without notice.