A flight nurse provides medical care and health monitoring for commercial air travelers who do not want to fly on their own. A flight nurse agency is the medical transport service that employs the nurses and works with patients to coordinate their trip.
A flight nurse agency employs experienced nurses with an extensive education in providing care for patients flying on commercial airlines. Sometimes referred to as a concierge nurse, these healthcare professionals work with passengers who have chronic conditions, disabilities or injuries that prevent them from being able to fly on their own.
Hiring an RN for air travel is a straightforward process. By contacting a flight nurse agency, sometimes referred to as a Non-Emergency Medical Transport (NEMT) company, clients can find out if flight nurses are available for their trip.
They do not need to arrange special mode of transport. Flight nurse agencies work with airports, commercial airlines and ground transportation, developing a schedule to get their patients safely from Point A to Point B. A day in the life of a flight nurse also includes assessing and monitoring the health of patients during travel, providing any care they require, and communicating with physicians and other healthcare professionals as needed.
Packing and managing a medical kit that may include specialty reclining wheelchairs, oxygen equipment, suction and nebulizers
Making sure patients meet all pre-planned points along the trip.
Helping patients’ travel go easier by using their expertise in getting through the check-in process, security, and customs and immigration for international flights
Ensuring patients disembark and reach their final destinations safely
Flight nurses have years of experience working with patients in emergency rooms and other situations where they provide patient stabilization and life support. In addition to working in trauma and critical care, nurses also are fully trained in flight physiology.
All these skills provide travelers who need support a great deal of comfort and security. Those who contact flight nurse agencies typically have disabilities, injuries or chronic conditions that make navigating an airport difficult on their own. Flight nurse agencies can be a lifesaver when loved ones need to travel long distances and an expensive air ambulance is out of reach.
In some cases, vacationers who have fallen ill or experienced an injury on their trip will hire flight nurses to fly with them back home. Full service NEMT companies offer service for both domestic and international flights.
Some of the requirements for a flight nurse include an active RN license, five to ten years at least of critical or acute care experience, a certificate in Basic Cardiovascular Life Support, Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support and often specialty certifications in Critical Care (CCRN) and Flight Nursing (CFRN). A flight nurse agency can connect travelers who need support during their trip with trusted, experienced medical personnel. Flight nurses provide professional medical services that make travelling much easier and safer.
Flight Nurse Patient Nurse AdvocacyJanuary 25, 2020 Patient advocacy has been around for many years. In the past, a patient advocate usually meant a member of the family, a good friend, or perhaps a clergyman or pastor. Family members, friends, and others can still...
Not every day is the same for flight nurses who work in non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT). Every day, they deal with different types of patients who need a variety of medical services during their flight.
However, there are certain duties that often come up every day for a NEMT flight nurse. But first, it’s important to understand what NEMT is and how it differs from an air ambulance.
NEMT involves the transportation of patients who require or desire medical assistance when traveling on scheduled flights on commercial airlines like Delta, United, Lufthansa, etc… both domestic and international. People hire a company like Flying Angels so a flight nurse can travel with their loved one. This can be for many reasons, including medical trips to specialist hospitals and doctors far away, for relocating an elderly parent, or for bringing home a loved one who was injured overseas. Family members are always welcome to fly with the flight nurse, but in most cases, it is just the flight nurse and the patient.
Whatever the case, flight nurses have a long list of duties. Flight nurses for Flying Angels all have experience in providing emergency medical care and have extensive experience in dealing with emergency and trauma situations.
So, what does a flight nurse do on a typical day? They usually include some or all the following.
Double Checking Plans
Flight nurses work with flight coordinators (who also are nurses) to handle the details in arranging NEMT with commercial airlines. They will review the procedures for the airports they plan to visit that day and reach out to any officials they need to speak with before arriving at the airport.
Packing The Medical
Kit
Prior to any transport flight coordinators prepare an extensive case file that will include relevant information on the patient, and all details related to the transport including ground, air, hotels, and points of contact. Flight nurses will review the case file of that day’s patient beforehand. They will know all the medical equipment they need to deal with any type of issue that might come up given the conditions of each patient. Before departing home, will make sure they have any specialty medical equipment needed for the flight such as specialty reclining wheelchairs, oxygen equipment, suction, nebulizers, etc…
Working in tandem with the flight coordinators, flight nurses make sure they meet all the pre-planned points on the trip, as laid out in the case file. The day before the flight the flight nurse will meet with the client at their residence and facility and will go over the plan for the following day. The flight nurse will confirm that all documents are in order, all medications are accounted for, and that all parties involved are aware of the schedule for the following day. The flight nurse will also will confirm that the ground transportation, arranged earlier by the flight coordinator is set up and in order. The flight nurse will stay overnight at a nearby hotel. The day of transport the flight nurse will return to pick up the patient at their home or residence and travel with them to the airport.
Flight nurses with Flying Angels have trained in flight physiology, and have extensive experience in air travel and the complexities involved getting through the check-in process, security, and customs & immigration for international flights. They also understand any psychological distress a patient might feel throughout the journey. Further, they know the specific circumstances of the patient they are flying with that day and know the signs of any problem. They also will monitor when it is time for medications and make routine checks.
Flights nurses oversee the patient disembarking from the plane safely and make sure they get through the airport to the awaiting ground transportation where they will travel with the patient to their final destination. Typically they will stay at an airport hotel and will then return to their point of origin the following day ready for another flight.
The daily routine of a flight nurse always has some variables, but it’s an exciting and challenging job no matter what the specific duties for each day’s flight. Flight nurses serve an important function in working with patients with medical conditions and illnesses, keeping them safe when they fly.
Patient advocacy has been around for many years. In the
past, a patient advocate usually meant a member of the family, a good friend or
perhaps a clergyman or pastor.
Family members, friends and others can still fulfill this
role. However, it long ago became a position held by people who, while not
medically trained themselves, were familiar with the operation of the
healthcare system.
The idea is to have a person who understands the ins and outs of the healthcare system to advocate on your behalf with doctors, nurses and other medical staff. Patient advocates are independent of the medical system but at the same time familiar with it. A person hires a patient advocate in much the same way they hire an accountant or attorney. This way the client knows that the advocate works solely for them and is not beholden to any other interests. While patient advocates are not covered by insurance, they can be an invaluable ally in the client’s corner.
What Does A Patient Advocate Do?
What Patient Advocates do is either navigational (making
appointments, following up on paperwork, making sure prescriptions are filled, and
such) – or money-related (auditing medical bills, negotiating with insurers or
hospitals). Advocates in those positions do offer a good example of the
fundamental services that an advocate provides for a patient.
For example, they closely monitor the patient’s well-being,
both physical and emotional, and give them an opportunity to discuss those
issues. A patient advocate acts as a liaison between the patient and medical
staff.
In general, patient advocates help cut through red tape and
get patients what they need. They act as a supporter, promoter and spokesperson.
It’s a key position to help people get better medical care, and it leads to
better patient outcomes.
Where to find a Patient Advocate?
Fortunately, there are many organizations that function as
advocates for patients. Flying Angels works directly within many of these
organizations.
• The Alliance of Professional Health Advocates (APHA)
Flying Angels also is a proud sponsor and exhibitor at the International Conference on Patient Advocacy (ICOPA), which is being held this October in Chicago. The theme of this year’s conference is “a rising tide floats all boats.”
Flight Nurse Patient Advocacy
Unlike most medical situations, flight nurses and their
patients are on the move. They must plan out transportation to the airport,
through airport security and boarding the plane. They also have to ensure that
a patient is comfortable on the plane itself.
In addition to being a patient advocate while going through
the airport and onto the plane, flight nurses also must ensure that patients
have all their proper medications during the flight. They may keep track of
their wheelchair and other medical equipment and make sure it is stored safely
aboard the plane.
Flight nurses also help patients make informed decisions
during their trip. This can include everything from going through security to
finding the right seat on the plane that gives them the best access to the bathroom
or the exit from the plane.
Another part of patient advocacy is also explaining any medical terms or transport-related issues, such as how the TSA conducts security checks on wheelchairs.
Conclusion While Patient advocacy was originally left to families, designated friends and clergy, the complexity of the modern health care system can easily overwhelm a patient and the best of intentioned laypersons. Professional Patient advocacy started with nurses working in hospitals. They have long acted as a liaison between patients and other members of the medical staff. Modern Patient Advocates are highly skilled professionals who work directly for the patient and make sure they get the best care from the healthcare system possible.
It’s easy to get terms confused when it comes to understanding different jobs in the nursing profession. Two of the jobs often mistaken for one another – or used interchangeably – are flight nurse and travel nurse.
However, there are big differences. A flight nurse specializes in providing medical care for patients during a flight. A travel nurses goes to different hospitals, helping provide care to patients.
Here’s a more detailed look at the two jobs.
What a Travel Nurse Does
Travel nurses sign up for the job of moving around to work at hospitals in different areas, helping the team at each facility provide care for patients.
In many cases, travel nurses are needed because a hospital is facing a nursing staff shortage. In the past, this often meant hospitals in rural areas. However, with the fast growth of the healthcare industry in recent years, nursing shortages now exist in places all around the country.
Travel nurses are not trained to work on an aircraft. They also may not have the emergency medical services training that a flight nurse has. Depending on the job requirements, some travel nurses may be LPNs or allied health professionals.
The assignments for travel nurses vary in length. In most cases, their temporary stint at a hospital will last anywhere from one month to as long as a year.
What a Flight Nurse Does
A flight nurse, such as those who work with Flying Angels, are highly trained nurses with experience in emergency care.
Flight nurses have extensive training in handling medical emergencies while in an aircraft. They are all registered nurses, and in many cases have advanced degrees. In the case of Flying Angels, nurses also have extensive emergency room experience.
This training and experience is needed to provide quality care for patients who are flying. In addition to having the ability to handle medical emergencies if they should arise, flight nurses also continually checking a patient’s condition and understand the patient’s needs in terms of medication and tolerance for air travel.
They also may consult with a patient’s physician to get a thorough understanding of a patient’s medical conditions, procedures they may have under gone and any medication needs they have during the flight.
In short, flight nurses are highly specialized medical professionals with the training and experience needed to handle a very specific situation: a patient traveling on an aircraft. Travel nurses have varying degrees of training and experience and work temporarily in hospitals to ensure quality care standards are maintained even if the hospital is short staffed.
While both involve professional nurses, they are very different jobs.
