Airlines like having registered nurses as their flight attendants

Can I become a flight attendant even if I am a registered nurse? Guess what. Airlines like having registered nurses as their flight attendants. Registered nurses are not only meant to work in hospitals and clinics but are also made to fly! We are talking about flight attendants who are registered nurses or RNs!

Looking at the profile of Filipino flight attendants around the world, many of them are RNs. Airlines do see them as huge assets! This is why when someone would ask us, “can nurses be flight attendants” all we tell them is 101% a resounding yes!

Looking back at history, the first flight attendants were registered, nurses. Before world war II, one was required to be a registered nurse to be a flight attendant. 

The first flight attendants were registered nurses

This started during the 1930s. Ellen Church was a registered nurse and a pilot at the same time. She wanted to take a job in the airline. However, during those times, aviation was only for men. Ellen Church thought nurses inside, and aircraft could be a good idea since commercial aviation was relatively new and flying was uncomfortable. Hence, flying nurses could help provide comfort and care to these passengers, and the Boeing Transport Co. liked this idea. She then recruited her other friends, who were nurses, giving birth to the flight attendants and stewardess! It is then safe to say that flight attendant are descendants of nurses!

Fast forward to today, the role of flight attendants has changed a lot from the 1950s and 1960s. Their primary role nowadays is to ensure the safety and security of all passengers; next is to provide comfort and a great flying experience. Looking at that role, the advantage of having RNs on board is still huge, though anyone could become a flight attendant.

So why do RNs make great flight attendants?

1. They were trained to look after the welfare of their patients. Same way as they have to look after the interest of their passengers. Nurses have this caring heart, and anything they suspect is wrong with a patient becomes a significant concern for them. This trait is crucial in the airline to ensure their passengers are comfortable and pleasing.
2. At 40,000ft, anything can happen to a passenger, and in the absence of a doctor on board, RNs could provide first aid. We have many cases of passengers giving birth on board or some even falling ill. Flight attendants who are RNs can check on the passengers and act immediately. They can provide necessary action and first aid, especially during the absence of a doctor on board.
3. In case of an emergency which requires immediate evacuation, flight attendant RNs can help provide extra assistance to injured passengers after everyone has been evacuated. Of course, their priority during such a situation is to evacuate all passengers immediately. Once everyone is out, then that’s the time they could voluntarily help out the injured passengers and fellow crew.
4. An RN’s training centers around hospitality and care. Becoming an RN is basically like taking up medicine too! They know how to do CPR, they know how to check on someone if there’s something wrong, and they know how to provide immediate medical attention to their capacity until a doctor takes over. If a passenger needs close medical attention at 40,000ft, flight attendant RNs can provide quick assistance.
5. Last but not least, the utmost care they give. For nurses, every life is precious. RNs give so much importance to life and lives. They care a lot for people. As flight attendants, they will provide a lot of significance to the lives of the passengers. 

Trivia: The flight attendant’s iconic “cap” evolved from a nurses’ cap

Have you ever wondered about the iconic flight attendant cap and why it is there? Look at it closely and notice its similarity with a nurse’s cap. From there, you can draw the link between nurses and flight attendants.

So, if you are an RN, why not also become a flight attendant? You don’t know how much airlines treasure RNs as their cabin crew. Something to ponder on.