Brstjjy

The first United States Navy Flight Nurse, Jane Kendeigh^[1]

A Flight Nurse is a registered nurse who specialises in the field of providing comprehensive pre-hospital, emergency critical care, and hospital care to a vast scope of patients. The care of these patients is generally during aeromedical evacuation or rescue operations aboard helicopters, propeller aircraft or jet aircraft. On board a rescue aircraft you would find a flight nurse accompanied by flight medics and respiratory practitioners, as well as the option of a flight physician for comprehensive emergency and critical transport teams. The inclusion of a flight physician is more commonly seen in pediatric and neonatal transport teams.^[2]

Roles and duties

A Flight Nurse is required to complete a copious amount of duties each and every call out. Listed below is a comprehensive list of these duties and responsibilities:

• Flight Nurses perform as a member of an aeromedical evacuation team on helicopters and propeller or jet aircraft


• Responsible for planning and preparing for aeromedical evacuation missions


• Expedite mission and initiate emergency treatment in absence of Flight Physician


• Provide in-flight management and nursing care for patients


• Evaluate individual patient in-flight needs


• Liaison between medical and operational aircrews and support personnel to promote patient comfort


• Responsible for maintaining patient care, comfort and safety


• Care for patients with both medical and traumatic issues


• Request appropriate medications, supplies and equipment to provide care to patient


• Must have training in mechanical ventilation, hemodynamic support, vasoactive medications and intensive care skills


• Specialised clinical skills in union with knowledge, theory, education and expertise in hospital and pre-hospital environments are required ^[3]
  


• Perform advanced medical procedures without supervision of a doctor such as intubation, ventilator management, chest tube insertion, intra-osseous line placement, central line placement, intra-aortic balloon pump management, management of pacing devices, titration of vasoactive medications, pain management, administration of anaesthetic medications for intubation, and in some cases, emotional and family care ^[2]
  

Education

National Requirements for most Flight Nurse programs include:

• License as a registered nurse- attainable through most Universities or Education Institutions


• 2–3 years of critical care experience and/or Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) experience.


• Advanced Cardiac Life Support certificate (ACLS)


• Pediatric Advanced Life Support Certificate (PALS)^[2]
  

Additional requirements may include:

• 
  Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP)


• Nationally recognised trauma program such as Pre Hospital Trauma Life (PHTLS)


• Support (PHTLS), Basic Trauma Life Support (BTLS), Trauma Nurse Core Course (TNCC), or Transport Nurse Advanced Trauma Course (TNATC)


• Certifications such as Critical Care certification (CCRN), Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN), or Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN)^[2]
  

Helpful, but may not be required:

• EMT or EMT-P (Paramedic) certification with field experience (some states require flight nurses to be certified as EMT’s or EMT-P’s)^[2]
  

Credentialing

• Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN)


• Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN)


• Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN)^[2]
  

Types of flight nurses

Civilian Flight Nurse

• Works for hospitals, federal, state and local governments, private medical evacuation firms, fire departments and other agencies.^[2]
  

Military Flight Nurse

• Army Air Force Evacuation Service


• Member of aeromedical evacuation crew


• Senior medical member of aeromedical evacuation team on Continental United States (CONUS)


• Works in intra-theatre and inter-theatre flights to provide in-flight management and nursing care


• Plan/Prepare aeromedical evacuation missions and prepare patient care facilitation plan^[4]
  

Australian flight nursing

Australia has an estimated 20% of land recognised as desert with a rather small population density. Providing health care to these remote, rural towns can prove to be quite laborious. Australia provides a number of organisations that flight nurses are under employment of.^[3]

See also

• Aerospace Medical Association


• Air Medical Services


• 
  Flight Nurse Badge (U.S.)


• RAF Medical Services


• Respiratory therapist


• Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia


• United States Navy Nurse Corps § Flight nurses

References

Further reading

• 
  David M Kaniecki Acnp (2013). Operation Flight Nurse: Real-Life Medical Emergencies. David Kaniecki. ISBN 978-0-615-83996-7.
  


• 
  Janice Hudson (2011). Trauma Junkie: Memoirs of an Emergency Flight Nurse. Firefly Books. ISBN 978-1-77088-004-7.
  

External links

• Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association


• Flightweb