You can hire a nurse to fly with you for any reason. Typically hired through Non-Emergency Medical Transport (NEMT) companies, flight nurses travel with you on commercial flights, providing support getting to and from your flight and healthcare services during the flight.
You may choose to hire a nurse to fly with you for many different reasons, including having chronic health issues or injuries that prevent you from safely flying on your own. Nurses provide medical help for flying and have specialized training and certification to perform this specific job within the nursing field.
Day in the Life of a Flight Nurse
What Flight Nurses Do
Flight nurses have a specific set of skills to meet your medical needs before, during, and after a flight. Working with a NEMT company, flight nurses have training and experience in emergency situations and in delivering medical care at high altitudes.
Before the Flight
An RN Flight Coordinator works with you throughout your trip, starting with the arrangement of plans. The Flight Coordinator reviews your medical condition beforehand so they understand everything you may need. They also coordinate with your doctor or primary care provider to make sure any underlying conditions are addressed. Coordination includes reviewing procedures for particular airports and airlines. Nurses also contact airport and airline personnel ahead of time to determine any special steps needed to make your trip easier.
How Does a Flight Coordinator Help?
Flight nurses also pack the medical kit for your trip. They ensure they have all the medications you need, as well as any medical equipment. They work with transportation officials on getting your equipment through security and safely stored during the flight. They also ensure you stay on schedule and that ground transportation issues are set up and in order.
During the Flight
With specialized training in flight physiology, nurses understand how to administer medical care at high altitudes. They also understand and can recognize any signs of psychological distress. Their familiarity with your medical condition prepares them to see any signs of physical distress or other problems. They also know when to administer medication and check on your condition during the flight.
Flying with Oxygen & Medications
After Landing, flight nurses make sure you disembark safely from your plane, navigate the airport and reach your ground transportation. In some cases, flight nurses travel with you to your final destination, although most return on another flight to their point of origin.
Who Needs to Hire a Nurse to Fly?
People in many different situations want to hire a nurse to fly. The specialized skills and high level of training attained by flight nurses gives people the medical services and sense of comfort they need. Those who hire flight nurses include:
- Seniors with medical conditions that prevent them from moving well on their own
- People of all ages with debilitating conditions
- People who are injured on trips, including to foreign destinations, who want medical care for their trip home (and help setting up a flight back)
- Retirees who are relocating to a new city
- People who must travel for business or personal reasons with an injury (such as a broken leg or arm)
How to Fly With Memory Loss or Dementia
How Do You Hire a Flight Nurse?
Hiring a flight nurse to join you on a commercial flight is convenient through a medical transportation company like Flying Angels. You can hire a nurse to fly with you to destinations within your state, in another state or in another country. Flight Nurse companies have experience in speaking with medical doctors in the United States and abroad. They also have contacts in the healthcare and transportation fields. If you want the safety and security an experienced nurse can bring to your trip, you can hire a nurse to fly with you. It’s a smart choice for those who want to ensure they arrive at their destination on schedule and in good health.