A flight paramedic is a specialized paramedic who can carry out advanced life support procedures for people being transported to hospitals via medical helicopters. Anyone who wishes to work as a flight paramedic, will first need to be certified as a general paramedic and they may need to have worked in that field prior to pursuing a flight medic career.
how to become a flight medic
Flight paramedics are often called upon to treat the most critical of patients in the field. This is why they need to have so many life support certifications and such expertise. They play a very vital role in the survival rates of individuals who are critically ill or injured. You will need to be able to work with young, middle aged and elderly patients. It will also be necessary to have training to care for children, infants and even newborns. Be prepared to even provide care to pregnant mothers.
You may have to work in difficult weather conditions or on difficult terrain. Sometimes a person will be trapped somewhere and you will need to begin working to provide emergency care before they can be moved and transported to the hospital.
The job will require you to be skilled and knowledgeable. You will need to think and act quickly. Sometimes you will need to get creative to provide the ideal care under the circumstances.
What you need to become a flight paramedic
There are various requirements for a person wishing to pursue a career as a flight paramedic
- They cannot be younger than 18 years old and must have graduated high school or hold a GED
- Must already be a fully licensed ground paramedic
- They must have attend a program accredited by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians for their ground paramedic certifications
- Some employers may require a flight paramedic to have 3 or more years experience in the field
- The person must be willing to submit to random drug and alcohol screenings
- Must be in good physical shape
- Able to lift up to 250 pounds in addition to the weight of their full uniform and gear
- Must be up to date on all critical immunizations
- Must pass a criminal background check
Certifications Required
- NREMT Certifications
- Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support Certifications
- Pediatric Life Support Certification
- Pre-Hospital Life Support/Flight Paramedic Certification
Please Note
There are currently no accredited flight paramedic courses. You will need to study the materials on your own. One of the things that will help you the most is to obtain as many paramedic and emergency services certifications as you can. Take courses, go to workshops and attend seminars. Learn as much as you can. You can find many helpful study resources online as well.
If you meet all of the above requirements, you can sit for the certification exam
Before pursuing a career as a flight paramedic consider the following:
- Do you feel confident you can fly in a medical aircraft without becoming nervous or ill?
- Can you work in extremely high stressful situations often in less than ideal working conditions?
- Will you be ready to respond to frequent calls during shifts of long hours
- Do you have a true desire to help patients in their lives ones in the most difficult of times
- Are you willing to pursue many different certifications to prepare you not only for the certification exam but for your career as a flight paramedic
Flight Paramedic Exam
The Flight Paramedic test is named the FP-C exam. The exam is usually designed to allow you to take 2 and ½ hours to complete. You should be prepared to answer about 125 multiple choice questions. These questions are designed to cover 12 core concepts. You will need to have an in depth understanding of the following topics to be successful on the test:
- Cardiac care
- Thoracic Care
- Airway Management
- Respiratory Care
- Acid-Base Balance
- CAMTS
- Neurological
- OB/GYN
- Neonatal and Pediatric
- Trauma
- Field Stress
- Flight Physiology
Different sections of the test will have a varying number of questions. You can expect to be asked the most questions regarding critical cardiac care.
More In Depth Look
Let’s take a more in depth look about things you will need to know to work successfully as a flight paramedic.
- Airway Management including advanced procedures
- Trauma Management with advanced procedures
- Neurological Care (especially identifying potential stroke patients)
- Assessing and caring for burn patients before arriving at the hospital
- OB/GYN emergencies including high risk deliveries
- Pediatric cardiac and respiratory care
- Adult cardiac and respiratory care
- Pediatric and Neonatal urgent care
- Toxic exposure care
You will also need to know a little bit about the aircraft in which you will work. And flight safety and survival if there is a technical program on board. In fact, ins one cases you will need to be the co-pilot if the pilot needs assistance. This would involve you having some understanding of the use of some of the helicopter instruments as well as knowing how to use the radio.
Flight Paramedics will perform various procedures in the field. The exact procedures will depend on the legal scope of practice in your area but may include things like:
- Intubation
- CPR
- Ventilation
- Trach tubes
- Inserting chest tubes
- Inserting IVs
- Administering oral and IV medications
- Delivering babies including high risk deliveries
- Using Automatic Defibrillators
- Using external pacemakers
- Cardiac testing including EKG’s
- Caring for individuals in shock
- Splinting broken bones
- Wound and Tissue injury care
- Blood Transfusions
These are just a few examples. You will be trained to perform a wide range of life saving techniques prior to arrival at the hospital.
