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I was wondering if anybody living in Hawaii could give me any insight to what the major flight ambulance companies are, and how competitive it is to get a job.
Are the major flight choppers based off big hospital systems out there, like Queens or Kaiser? I would be interested in rotor wing, not fixed.
How difficult is it to get a flight nurse job if one applies with several years ICU/ER experience in Hawaii?
Are all the critical flight patients flown to Queens in Oahu since it is the only Level 1 Trauama Center?
I am currently an ICU/ER RN working in the western US.
I don't know much about Hawaii Air Ambulance services - but googling "Hawaii Air Ambulance" brings up a lot of company information - I'd start with that and call the companies.
Another thought. Each Island has there own air ambulance service . You might check with all the other Islands also. Couldn't hurt to check!!
Good luck in your search.
Each island does have their own services, both fixed wing and rotor. Jobs are very competitive for flight nursing, just like everywhere else that runs an air ambulance system.
Yes, all serious trauma goes to Queens, although there are also a fair amount of other inter-island transports (Maui has some services other islands lack, and big island will sometimes transport to there instead of Queens). There is also a reasonable amount of transfer to Kapiolani, also in Honolulu, which is the only children's hospital. There are companies that do foreign medical evacuation as well, although I am not at all familiar with them, and most of them are exclusively fixed-wing.
Kona uses Hawaii Life flight. They have helicopters on several islands. They want you to have PALS and Neonatal resuscitation certificates as well as ED/ICU experience to apply. Link to their website below.
The 2 air ambulance companies in Hawai'i (AMR Air and Hawai'i Life Flight) are private companies and not part of the major hospital systems, though they have contracts to transport patients to their main facilities on O'ahu.
If you are interested only in rotor, not fixed wing transports, you need to inquire with HLF. AMR Air uses only fixed wing. HLF's helicopters are based on the Big Island of Hawai'i, as transport times from the other islands to O'ahu generally are short enough that it is cheaper and less risky to use fixed wing.
Queen's (they're Level II, not I) does take the majority of critical trauma patients, though military personnel mostly go to Tripler Army Medical Center depending on severity (they're Level III.)
There are more fixed wing employment opportunities than rotor here, as flying patients significant distances over the ocean in a helicopter is inherently more dangerous than in a plane. Still, it won't hurt to inquire.
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