Flight & Critical Care Triage Specialist (RN or Paramedic)

Job Title: Flight & Critical Care Triage Specialist (RN or Paramedic)
Work Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Communications Center)
Division/Department: AirMed
Reports To: Director of Air Medical Services / Communications Director
FLSA Status / Type: Full-Time / Nonexempt

The Flight & Critical Care Triage Specialists are Registered Nurses and Paramedics who provide expert clinical assessment and transport coordination for hospital personnel, EMS agencies, and first responders requesting critical care transport. Operating within Pafford Medical Services’ integrated transport network, Triage Specialists rapidly evaluate patient acuity and transport needs to determine the most appropriate transport modality—Rotary-Wing (helicopter), Fixed-Wing (airplane), or Critical Care Ground Transport (CCGT).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Receive and triage inbound calls for scene responses and inter-facility transfers, assessing patient acuity, transport distance, timeline, and clinical needs to determine the safest and most appropriate transport modality—Rotary-Wing, Fixed-Wing, or Critical Care Ground Transport (CCGT).
• Coordinate with Flight Operations Control (FOC), aviation personnel, and ground operations to verify aircraft and unit availability, weather minimums, fuel range, and landing zone (LZ) or airport logistics.
• Serve as the clinical liaison between sending physicians, receiving trauma and specialty centers, flight crews, and ground EMS agencies to facilitate clear communication and coordinated patient care.
• Coordinate airport ground transportation for Fixed-Wing transfers, ensuring seamless transitions and handoffs between ground transport teams and flight crews.
• Utilize Pafford’s established medical protocols to provide clinical guidance to sending facilities regarding patient stabilization and care while transport resources are en route.
• Accurately document and maintain clinical and operational information, including patient assessments, vital signs, bed placement details, and flight-tracking details, within CAD and EHR systems.
• Protect patient privacy and confidential information by maintaining professionalism and strict compliance with HIPAA requirements.
• Support and promote Pafford Medical Services’ culture and values while serving as a positive representative and steward of the Pafford brand.
• Adhere to applicable hospital policies, procedures, and standards while performing assigned responsibilities.
• Maintain compliance with all Pafford Medical Services policies and procedures.
• Maintain compliance with all applicable state and federal laws, regulations, and program requirements.
• Perform other related duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Education and/or Work Experience

• Maintain an active, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license or Paramedic license (NRP or state) in good standing. Oklahoma licensure or reciprocity is required upon date of hire.
• Multi-state/compact licensure is preferred, or willingness to obtain additional licensure as needed to support regional dispatch operations.
• Minimum of one year of recent clinical experience in a high-acuity critical care environment.
• For Paramedics: Experience in high-volume 911 EMS, Critical Care Ground Transport (CCGT), or air medical services preferred.
• For Registered Nurses: Experience in an Emergency Department (ED), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), transfer center, or flight environment preferred.
• Maintain current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification; Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certifications preferred.
• Prior experience in medical transport dispatch, transfer center operations, or aeromedical triage is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrate strong computer proficiency, with the ability to effectively operate multiple software applications and monitors simultaneously.
• Demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrate sound modality judgment with an understanding of the operational considerations and trade-offs among Fixed-Wing, Rotary-Wing, and Critical Care Ground Transport, including weather constraints, pressurization requirements, and distance efficiency.
• Effectively manage high-acuity clinical intake, live flight tracking, and radio and telephone communications simultaneously while maintaining accuracy and situational awareness.
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of regional geography, airport capabilities, hospital trauma levels, and landing zone (LZ) safety considerations.
• Demonstrate exceptional verbal clinical handoff skills, with the ability to communicate clearly, remain calm and direct, and provide empathetic support in high-pressure situations.
• Remain organized, focused, and decisive in high-pressure and rapidly changing situations.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

• Work in a high-technology communications center environment requiring sustained attention, situational awareness, and effective use of multiple communication and information systems.
• Work 12-hour rotating shifts, including days, nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Work in a multi-monitor desk environment requiring sustained focus, computer proficiency, and the ability to monitor multiple systems simultaneously.
• Ability to safely and successfully perform the essential functions of the position consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and other applicable federal, state, and local standards, including meeting established qualitative and/or quantitative productivity standards.
• Maintain regular and punctual attendance consistent with the ADA, FMLA, and other applicable federal, state, and local standards.
• Work may require prolonged sitting, repetitive keyboard and telephone use, and the simultaneous operation of multiple systems and monitors.
• Communicate clearly and effectively through in-person communication, multi-line telephone systems, and two-way radios, including the ability to talk, listen, and speak clearly.
• Possess sufficient visual acuity to prepare and analyze data, operate multiple computer terminals, and perform extensive reading.

NOTE: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the person assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, and physical demands required of personnel so classified.