The CFRN exam will cover general principles of practice for flight nurses. This will include topics such as transport physiology, communications and safety and survival. Transport physiology covers patient transportation stressors and altitude effects. Communications covers radio operations, patient hand-off and crew management. Safety and survival includes navigation, transponder codes, transport vehicle emergencies and post-crash survival principles.
Patient care principles cover assessment and patient preparation, airway management and mechanical ventilation. Principles of assessment and patient preparation include history taking, physical assessment and data gathering principles. Applicants test on pain management and patient transport preparation. The airway management section tests airway assessment, airway management techniques and procedures, airway difficulties and rapid sequence intubation. Invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation techniques are essential.
The trauma section of the CFRN exam covers various types of traumas including neurologic, thoracic, abdominal, orthopedic, burn and maxillofacial and neck. Test takers must be knowledgeable in injury mechanisms, hypovolemic shock, immobilization, trauma triad and scoring. Neurologic trauma includes neurogenic shock, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and post-traumatic seizures. Thoracic trauma covers chest wall, pulmonary, cardiac and great vessel injuries. Abdominal trauma covers hollow and solid organ, diaphragmatic and retroperitoneal injuries. Orthopedic trauma refers to vertebral and pelvic injuries, as well as compartment syndrome, amputations, extremity fractures and soft-tissue injuries. Applicants must also understand chemical, electrical, thermal and radiological burns.
The CFRN exam contains a section on various medical problems one may encounter as a flight nurse. These include neurologic, cardiovascular, pulmonary and abdominal emergencies. Some of the neurologic emergencies covered are seizure disorders, stroke, neuromuscular disorders, space occupying lesions and encephalopathy. Cardiovascular emergencies include obstructive shock, acute coronary syndrome, pulmonary edema, dysrhythmias and cardiogenic shock. The exam covers pulmonary emergencies such as asthma, acute lung injury and pulmonary infections. The test will also cover various abdominal injuries such as abdominal compartment syndrome and GI bleed.
In addition to CFRN certification, one may want to pursue a master's degree in flight nursing. This will enhance knowledge in flight nursing principles and techniques. Various colleges and universities offer this degree including Case Western Reserve University, which offers a Master of Science in Nursing with Acute Care Nurse Practitioner: Flight Nursing Sub-specialty. This program lasts for three semesters, covering various topics in flight nursing.