Day in the Life of a Flight Nurse
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.
What Is NEMT?
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.
Duties For Flight Nurses
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…
Meeting Schedules
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.
During the Flight
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.
After Landing
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.
What is Flight Nurse Patient Advocate?
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.
They include the following.
• Academy of Special Needs Planners (ASNP)
• The National Guardianship Association (NGA)
• The Aging LifeCare Association (ALCA)
• 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.
Flight Nurse Vs. Travel Nurse: What’s The Difference?
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.
Flight Nurse Duties On A Commercial Airline
One of the key components of non-emergency medical transport (NEMT) is the presence of a flight nurse who travels with clients as they navigate through the airport and eventually take their flight.
For those interested in NEMT, it’s illuminating to know everything they do for patients.
Flight nurses have a challenging job. Transporting a patient via flight, 35,000 feet in the air with no one to call for help, is a huge responsibility. But flight nurses do an excellent job with this critical task. They combine the expertise of a medical professional with diplomatic skills and experience in travel to make the experience safe and even enjoyable.
Why You Want A Flight Nurse
Flight nurses are trained to handle medical emergencies while traveling. They also handle dispensing any medication that is needed and put in the effort to make sure a client travels as comfortably as possible.
As in the case with Flying Angels, the best NEMT companies employ flight nurses who are registered nurses who have graduated from accredited nursing programs and obtained their RN license. They also have experience in critical care and emergency medical situations and are trained in flight physiology.
During a time when you might feel vulnerable as you make a long trip on a commercial airline, flight nurses provide the comfort level and expert care that gives you the confidence you need for your trip.
What Flight Nurses Do
Flight nurses have a variety of important duties. They include the following.
Packing a medical kit. Flight nurses carry the medical equipment needed to handle an emergency, as well as any medication a client needs.
Meeting all time schedules. Flight nurses, working with flight coordinators (who also are registered nurses), plan the trip and then manage it to meet all the scheduled airport arrivals and flight times.
Arranging ground transportation. This includes getting clients to the airport of departure and securing transportation once they arrive.
Working with international medical services. Flight nurses also coordinate any services needed overseas on international flights. This can include overcoming language barriers and understanding how medical services work in other countries.
Understanding airline rules. Flight nurses must know how different airlines handle different situations – both in the United States and overseas – and plan and act accordingly.
Understand flight physiology. Flight nurses have training in the specialty of flight physiology, as well as psychological stresses that sometimes affect clients during air travel.
Safety First
Commercial airlines were not designed for medical transport, but instead are a public transportation service. Part of understanding the different rules of airlines surrounding NEMT is knowing how to get the proper equipment when needed, such as stretchers and wheelchairs.
All of this is part of a flight nurse’s focus on safety. That’s the first job of a flight nurse: providing care to ensure a client’s health and safety during their flight. Understanding what equipment to bring and how to coordinate with various airlines, both foreign and domestic, is part of the expertise a flight nurse contributes.
Flight nurses play the most important role in NEMT. With the proper training and years of experience in intensive care, flight nurses provide clients with the safety and comfort they need as they make their journey.