Float Flight Nurse | Gundersen Air | Sparta & Decorah

Gundersen Health System; La Crosse (WI); On-site; USD 80,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Tuition Investment Program

Career Development Center

Job summary

Gundersen Air is hiring a full-time Flight Nurse in Wisconsin. You will deliver advanced critical care during interfacility transport, working with flight medics and pilots to ensure safe patient handoffs and high-quality care during missions.

The role requires an RN license in WI, MN, and IA, an Associate degree in Nursing, and 3–4 years of ICU experience. Expect a 24-hour shift readiness, strong communication, and the ability to work autonomously.

Qualifications

• Must hold an Associate's degree in Nursing and RN licensure for WI, MN, and IA.
• 3–4 years of critical care/ICU experience required.
• 1-year Interfacility/Critical Care transport or air medical transport experience preferred.
• Current BLS, ACLS, and PALS certifications for healthcare providers.

Responsibilities

• Provide advanced critical care during patient transport.
• Perform life-saving procedures and adhere to medical protocols.
• Collaborate with flight crew, pilot, and hospital teams during missions.
• Navigate and operate in flight/ground transport environments.

Skills

Critical care transport

ACLS

PALS

BLS

Flight nursing

Team collaboration

Independent work

24-hour shift readiness

Interfacility transport

Education

Associate degree in Nursing

RN license in WI/MN/IA

Job description

Love + medicine is who we are, it's what we do, it's why people want to work here.

Scheduled Weekly Hours: 36 Come fly with us! When minutes matter, Gundersen AIR delivers life-saving care in some of the region’s most advanced medical helicopters. Emplify Health by Gundersen is seeking a fulltime Registered Nurse to join our Gundersen Air team, comprised of 11 Flights Nurses and 10 Flight Medics. This position will float between both bases in Sparta, WI and Decorah, IA.

What You’ll Do:

As a Flight Nurse you will function as an advanced trained nurse able to provide critical care in the medical transport of critically ill and injured patients, working in conjunction with the Flight Medic and pilot in sharing patient care duties and operational responsibilities. Your Flight Nursing skills may involve multiple life‑saving procedures and requires an autonomous practice and the ability to follow and deliver care utilizing existing medical protocols and critical thinking skills. You will assess patient condition(s) to determine nature and extent of illness or trauma; develop a plan of care for the patient during transport; establish and prioritize medical procedures to be followed; and incorporate knowledge of patient's physical and psychosocial development into planning intervention(s) to deliver quality patient care. You will demonstrate and utilize advanced trauma skills and lifesaving procedures such as intubation, needle decompression, surgical and needle cricothyrotomy, central and peripheral intravenous access and pericardiocentesis proficiency. You will participate in all functions of flight operations including pre‑mission briefings, pre‑mission liftoff checklist, assisting the pilot as requested inflight (i.e., radio, navigation, visual observation day/night NVG), mission debriefings and documentation, skills and knowledge of general helicopter operations and safety, aviation map reading, plotting coordinates as well as GPS operation.

What's Available:

Fulltime, 36 hours per week Starting pay of $38.96 per hour and up, based on your years of experience, as well as generous shift/weekend/holiday differentials Onsite: La Crosse, WI floating to Decorah, IA & Sparta, WI Mileage Reimbursement.

What You’ll Need:

A minimum of an Associate's degree in Nursing Registered Nurse (RN) licensed to practice in the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa upon hire 3-4 years' work experience in a critical care/ICU setting required 1-year Interfacility/Critical Care transport experience, EMS experience, or air medical transportation is highly desired Current Infant-Adult BLS for Health Care Providers Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) & Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to effectively interact with patients, families, and healthcare team members Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a team environment Ability to function in an extended shift (24 hours or greater) environment and be able to constructively utilize down-time between responses, transports, and transfers. Additional Education, Learning, Licensure, and Certification Required.

After Hire:

Incident Command Center (ICS) 100, 200, 700 & 800 certificates required within 12 months of hire Emergency Medical Technician (WI, IA, MN or National) certification required with 12 months of hire date Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP), Basic Life Support for Obstetrics (BLSO) or Advanced Life Support for Obstetrics (ALSO), and Transport Professional Advanced Trauma Course (TPATC) within 18 months of hire Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN) required within 24 months of hire date.

What You’ll Get:

Unlimited potential at one of the leading health systems in the midwestern United States A highly adaptable and mission‑driven organization with a work environment that supports you personally and professionally and a work culture where you are valued and appreciated A care team with longevity and low turnover, strong teamwork model, and the ability to work with complex patient cases both independently and as a team Support for your career growth through Professional Development Opportunities, our Tuition Investment Program, and Career Development Center Competitive Compensation: Enjoy an attractive salary and shift differentials, based on your years of experience, ensuring your skills and dedication are valued and rewarded A comprehensive and generous benefits package (Medical, Dental, Life Ins, HSA/FSA) ensuring your comfort and well‑being as a valuable team member Substantial retirement contribution including a 401k match & annual discretionary base contribution Paid Time Off (PTO) combines vacation, sick, and personal days into one balance to allow you the flexibility to use your time off as you need Other benefits include a Wellness program with incentives, employer‑paid life insurance and AD&D, optional short‑term and long‑term disability coverage, an employee assistance program, identity theft protection, pet insurance, Inspire & Celebrate colleague recognition and rewards program, a discount program, and more! Relocation Assistance is available.

About Us:

Emplify Health by Gundersen is the leading provider of primary and specialized care in western Wisconsin, southeast Minnesota, and northeast Iowa, serving more than 500,000 residents throughout 19 counties annually. Our physician‑led, not‑for‑profit healthcare system includes a 325‑bed teaching hospital, tertiary referral center, and Level II Trauma Center; community clinics; affiliate hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes; behavioral health services; vision centers; pharmacies; and air and ground ambulance services. Our mission is simple yet profound: Together, we inspire your best life by relentlessly caring, learning, and innovating. We deliver Love + Medicine every day to change lives in our communities and enrich the lives of our employees.

If you need assistance with any portion of the application or have questions about the position, please contact HR‑[e-mail] or call 608‑775‑0267.

We inspire your best life by relentlessly caring, learning and innovating. This is our purpose. Together with our values — belonging, respect, excellence, accountability, teamwork and humility — our pillars set our foundation and our future.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Around here, loving your job is part of the job.

Join our mission in changing healthcare while finding a career you'll love! Gundersen Health System offers a proud, local history spanning more than 100 years. Our personalized patient care model is only the beginning of what you will experience as we foster population health transformation and innovation to serve our communities and you. We've made it a priority to enrich the lives of our employees as they find a career they love. Using each employee’s unique talents and passions, Gundersen is committed to delivering exceptional patient and family‑centered care to the communities we serve. You can be part of an exciting, highly adaptable and mission‑driven organization with a work environment that supports you personally and professionally and a work culture where you are valued and appreciated offering an employee‑first culture, work‑life balance, and career advancement & growth opportunities. This culture allows our organization to attract elite talent, like yourself!

What You Can Expect:

Empowerment to shape your work environment, encouragement to improve processes and create efficiencies, and support when seeking opportunities for growth Culture that encourages self‑care and provides you with opportunities to be your best self at work and at home Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits packages, as applicable, ensuring your comfort and well‑being as a valuable team member Support for your career growth through Professional Development Opportunities, our Tuition Investment Program, Career Development Center, and online continuing education courses Inside our walls and our neighborhoods, we deliver world‑class medical care and the right amount of love. We call it LOVE + MEDICINE and it’s more than our practice. It is who we are.

Gundersen Health System, based in La Crosse, WI, is the leading provider of primary and specialized care in western Wisconsin, southeast Minnesota, and northeast Iowa; serving more than 500,000 residents throughout 22 counties. Our physician‑led, not‑for‑profit healthcare system includes a 325‑bed teaching hospital, tertiary referral center, and Level II Trauma Center; community clinics; 6 affiliate critical access hospitals; nursing homes; behavioral health services; vision centers; pharmacies; and air and ground ambulance services. Together, we inspire your best life by relentlessly caring, learning, and innovating. We deliver Love + Medicine every day to change lives in our communities and enrich the lives of our employees.

Select Remote/Hybrid Eligible under More search to see our remote‑eligible openings. A rewarding career and an excellent quality of life awaits you.

Learn more about our excellence in patient care, education, research, culture, and something we call Love + Medicine at www.gundersenhealth.org/careers/life.