CFRN study plan

Explain Boyle's, Dalton's, Henry's, Charles's/Gay-Lussac's and Graham's laws and predict how a climb to 8,000 ft cabin altitude changes gas volume or partial pressure in an endotracheal cuff, pneumatic splint, or pneumothorax.

Differentiate hypoxic, hypemic, stagnant and histotoxic hypoxia and match each to a patient example with the intervention that corrects it.

Calculate alveolar oxygen tension at sea level and at 8,000 ft and state how much supplemental oxygen is needed to restore sea-level-equivalent oxygenation.

Describe time of useful consciousness at 18,000, 25,000 and 35,000 ft and outline crew actions after a rapid depressurization.

List the flight stressors (noise, vibration, thermal load, fatigue, circadian disruption, spatial disorientation) and state one physiologic effect and one mitigation for each.

Apply altitude physiology to ventilator and oxygen-delivery decisions: adjust FiO2, flow and minute ventilation for reduced barometric pressure and confirm with a worked example.

Perform a structured primary and secondary survey on three written patient scenarios and verbalize findings in under five minutes each.

Interpret arterial blood gas and capnography values for six clinical vignettes and state one intervention for each abnormal pattern.

Differentiate hypovolemic, cardiogenic, distributive and obstructive shock and select a matching fluid or vasoactive strategy for each.

Identify which monitoring modalities (cardiac, SpO2, EtCO2, NIBP/arterial, glucose, temperature) are mandatory versus optional for a given transport acuity.

Sequence airway management options from basic to advanced and justify the choice for trauma, medical, pediatric and obstetric patients.

State pre-intubation preparation, drug selection considerations and failed-airway contingencies for rotor-wing and fixed-wing environments.

Stabilize written trauma, neurologic, cardiac and obstetric vignettes by prioritizing interventions for the first 15 minutes of transport.

Anticipate and plan for deterioration in flight: list two likely complications and a response for each of four scenarios.

Demonstrate securing of airway, lines, drains and monitors on a manikin or trainer before simulated flight.

Compare transport ventilators, infusion pumps, cardiac monitors, isolettes and specialty devices (intra-aortic balloon pump, ventricular assist device) on power draw, oxygen consumption, alarms and failure modes.

Explain aircraft oxygen and suction systems: storage, calculation of duration at a given flow, and safe handling near heat or oil.

Perform a complete pre-flight equipment and supply check using a written checklist and document any discrepancy.

Compute oxygen duration and electrical load for a sample 90-minute transport with two patients.

Describe electrical safety, electromagnetic interference and backup-power procedures specific to the aircraft.

Plan a transport end-to-end: weather minimums, route and altitude selection, fuel and weight-and-balance limits, and alternateairfield selection.

Describe loading, unloading, restraint and patient-positioning requirements for stretcher, isolette and specialty-device patients.

Explain communication systems, radio failure procedures and medical crew roles during a scene landing-zone operation.

Identify hazardous-materials and infection-control precautions that apply to the aircraft cabin and decontamination process.

Apply crew resource management principles to two written in-flight conflict or emergency scenarios.

Conduct a structured pre-flight risk assessment for scene and interfacility missions using a recognized risk matrix and state go/no-go criteria.

Describe safety management system elements and the reporting pathway for an incident, near-miss and exposure event.

Apply standard precautions and isolation measures appropriate to airborne transport of a patient with a communicable disease.

Outline survival, egress and crashworthiness considerations including restraint systems and post-accident actions.

Design two quality-improvement measures with a measurable indicator and a data collection method.

Delineate scope of practice, credentialing and delegation boundaries for flight nurses and paramedics in the transport setting.

Explain consent, informed refusal, capacity determination and mandatory-reporting obligations using three written vignettes.

Apply EMTALA, HIPAA and documentation standards to a transfer scenario and identify what must be recorded and what must not be disclosed.

Deliver a structured handoff (SBAR or equivalent) for three patients and evaluate it against a checklist.

Describe critical-incident stress management, debriefing, just-culture principles and conflict-resolution strategies for the crew.

Complete two full-length mixed practice exams under timed conditions and record scores by domain.

Rank domains by missed-item percentage and re-study the two weakest for a minimum of three hours total.

Rewrite every missed item into a one-line corrected concept and re-test yourself on those concepts two days later.

Rehearse the pre-flight equipment, oxygen and risk-assessment workflows once more without notes.

Build a one-page exam-day sheet of high-yield facts, formulas and normal values from memory, then verify against references.