Nurse Training - CareFlight

Doctors, nurses, paramedics and aviation crew undergo CareFlight’s unique in-house training.

In addition to clinical education, activities typically include a mix of winching and helicopter underwater escape training, aviation physiology and inflight/on the job mentoring.

Flight nurse training

CareFlight employs registered nurses who are trained critical care clinicians.

CareFlight flight nurses undergo an intensive orientation program over a minimum four weeks.

The program includes:

Lectures/tutorials
Pre-Hospital Trauma Course
Retrieval team training
Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (HUET)
Aircraft safety and cabin procedures
Aviation physiology
Inflight/on the job mentoring by other flight nurses
Winch training (optional)

Flight nurses have the opportunity to undertake winch training, qualifying them for rostered down-the-wire helicopter rescue.

Flight nurses receive regular in-house education and training. They also attend a number of accredited external courses, funded by CareFlight.

For helicopter operations, continuing accreditation requires a fitness assessment every 90 days, three-monthly static winch currency training, six-monthly live helicopter rescue procedures and two-yearly HUET.

Flight nurses may be required to undergo a pre-employment fitness assessment.

Find out about career opportunities for CareFlight Flight Nurses.