It’s a question many travelers must face: “Am I too sick to fly?” Every flight patient and illness is different, but there are two important issues to keep in mind. The first is to understand the signs of severe illness. The other is to know the situations where you can use non-emergency medical transport (NEMT) as a less expensive alternative to an air ambulance.
There are many different scenarios involving flights for sick patients, but many of them are among the situations that require NEMT. This is especially true for those with chronic medical conditions or disabilities that make it more difficult to fly alone.
Here’s an overview that provides a quick way to analyze your situation and decide if you can fly on a plane if you are sick, and whether you may need NEMT.
Am I Too Sick to Fly On a Commercial Flight?
When it comes to the subject of flights for sick patients, everyone knows there are different levels of sickness, from a minor cold to something more severe. But certain symptoms are red flags that may indicate you are too sick to travel. Those signs include:
Fever. A fever over 100 degrees indicates you are contagious with whatever illness you have.
Chest pain. This can be a sign of many things, not all associated with your heart. However, if the pain persists, it’s a good idea to see a doctor before getting on a plane.
Nausea. In addition to being a sign of more severe illness, nausea is not something you want to experience while traveling 500 miles per hour at 30,000 feet.
Trouble breathing. Like chest pain, this may or may not be something serious, but only checking with a doctor can make you certain.
Medical condition. This does not fall under the usual “too sick to fly” scenarios, but a condition that makes it difficult to move around on your own or that requires a clinician to monitor your health typically means you should check into using NEMT.
Situations Where You Want NEMT
There are some situations where you are too sick to fly on a commercial flight. In other cases, a chronic or medical condition may prohibit you from wanting to fly. These are the situations where NEMT can provide what you need.
With NEMT, an experienced flight nurse stays with you on a commercial flight (with the NEMT company handling all the flight booking and air travel arrangements).
But other situations may also require NEMT. They include the following.
Moving parents. Older people with health conditions feel safer flying with experienced medical personnel.
Children. Much like seniors, having medical personnel fly with children who have a medical condition ensures they are safe during the trip.
Health treatment. Some people must fly to see a specialist or receive special treatment
Injuries on vacation. Getting home if you’re injured on vacation can be a nightmare, but a NEMT company can get the job done easily.
An Alternative to an Air Ambulance
NEMT service also provides a less expensive medical transport option to those whose other option is an expensive air ambulance. Air ambulance costs have escalated rapidly in recent years, making a safe and less expensive alternative much more attractive.
Choosing NEMT is even a good choice for flights for sick patients if they must fly on a stretcher or require a wheelchair, both situations that a flight nurse can handle. Whatever your reasons for needing flights for sick patients, NEMT services can provide the support you need to plan your trip and arrive at your destination safely.
Transport nurses provide care to patients during flights. In some cases, they work as emergency nurses, administering treatment to patients en route to the hospital. They also play a key role in non-emergency medical transport, providing care for patients during commercial flight travel.
Transport nurses are sometimes referred to as a flight nurse, and they play a key role in long distance medical transport. Transport nurses work internationally as well as nationally, providing care for patients who want to travel but cannot do so alone due to injury or chronic illness.
Whether they work as a domestic or international transport nurse, a flight nurse is an experienced professional who can make travel safe for those who need assistance.
In an emergency situation, a transport nurse works as part of a team that may include medics, physicians and other clinical personnel. Flight nurses work on helicopters and rescue flights, working as part of a team providing medical treatment to injured or ill patients.
In an emergency scenario, the goal is to keep a patient stable until they arrive at the hospital.
When working for a non-emergency medical transport (NEMT) company, a transport nurse has experience working in emergency situations. That experience helps them better prepare to help patients as they travel long distances by air.
A NEMT flight nurse manages any medications needed by the patient. They also have experience in emergency work and extensive knowledge in providing care for patients at high elevations.
The services of a transport nurse are a factor in determining long distance medical transport cost.
Different NEMT companies have different standards for transport nurses. Flying Angels sets the standard for flight nurses high. They include at least five years of experience in trauma/emergency room work, which sharpens a nurse’s critical thinking skills and gives them experience in dealing with a high volume of patients, trauma cases, making good clinical assessments and improving triage and physical skills.
Before becoming a transport nurse, a nurse will first become an RN. Most NEMT companies require nurses to hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and a nursing license issued through their state.
Certifications can also help transport nurses work for the best companies in the industry. Two of the most prominent certifications are Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN) from the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN) and Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) through the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. A transport nurse is critical to the operation of both emergency transportation and NEMT. Working both nationally and internationally, they take the lead on offering patients the care they need to safely arrive at their destination.
For many adults and college students, the chance for international travel culminates years of planning and dreams. However, injuries and accidents can make their plans unravel, leaving travelers in need of an international transport nurse to advocate for them and help them return home safely.
An international transport nurse plays an important role in medical repatriation, a term that describes the need for medical services through the process of returning to the United States from a foreign country. The key is to return home before spending a long time under hospital care in a foreign country, something that can take a heavy toll on both your health and finances.
Medical Repatriation vs Evacuation
Hiring a non-emergency medical transport (NEMT) company that specializes in international medical travel and who provides an experienced nurse for your journey can help you get out of that situation. Here are some frequently asked questions that can help you decide if an international travel nurse is who you need.
Why Do People Hire An International Transport Nurse?
Imagine yourself or your child in a situation where they are under medical care in a foreign country. In that situation, you face many challenges. They include language barriers, quality of care issues, exuberant healthcare costs and the distance from home, friends and family. Not all travel insurance will cover medical costs. An NEMT company and international transport nurse can help resolve the situation and get you home.
The short answer is that they see you home safely. The nurse comes to where you are, works with local healthcare workers to get you released from the hospital, then provides any healthcare services you need by traveling with you on the flight back home.
In addition to the medical services, an international transport nurse also works with local healthcare workers as well as airport security and airline personnel. They can handle all the issues that come up, from navigating the airport and getting through security to managing your medications and providing care in flight.
What Qualifications Does An International Transport Nurse Have?
The kind of nurse you get depends on who you hire. At Flying Angels, for example, nurses have years of experience in emergency medical care and certification to provide medical services at high altitudes. They are extremely capable should a crisis arise.
A NEMT provides expertise in international medical travel. In the case of Flying Angels, the company has worked with thousands of patients through the years and has contacts in both the medical and transportation industries around the world. They arrange your flights, contact the airport ahead of time to make your travel go smoother and set up any ground transportation or accommodations you may need.
It’s important to read your own health insurance plan before leaving on a trip. Most policies will not cover the cost of getting home from a foreign country. There are medical travel insurance plans available, but be sure to compare costs and services and find the one that works best for you. Getting injured or requiring medical care while on a trip does not have to become a nightmare situation. By planning ahead and having contact information for a NEMT company, you can travel with the assurance that if something does go wrong, you have someone you can trust to help you get back home.
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Medical flights help you and your families travel safely after someone is hospitalized or may have limited mobility. Medical air travel arrangements can be scheduled with a flight coordinator who should be an RN with emergency and critical care experience. Registered nurses with extensive Critical Care/Emergency experience accompany you during travel from beginning to end, bedside to bedside.
They
differ from emergency flights, in which patients are flown directly to a
hospital by plane or helicopter.
Medical flights and medical travel are popular because they allow those with debilitating conditions, disorders, disabilities or injuries to have the comfort and security of a flight nurse accompanying them through the airport and during their flight.
How to Schedule Medical Travel
Flight nurses typically work with an agency such as Flying Angels that also employs an RN Flight Coordinator. They handle all the advance planning for medical travel, coordinating with airports, airlines, ground transportation and hotels.
The reason for seeking medical flights or medical travel differ by the individual. When using medical transport, patients have made the decision that they want support during their trip from a trained, qualified and experienced nurse.
In many cases, the patients are older travelers with a chronic condition. They could be visiting relatives, going on a family vacation to a distant location or relocating to a new home to be closer to family.
Whatever the case, medical flights provide you with the support you need. For example, airport personnel is contacted in advance so they know when you’re arriving. The flight nurse goes through TSA with you and works to make sure any medical equipment (such as a wheelchair or medications) are carried on properly. TSA notification cards can help to expedite the security checkpoint process in several ways as well as TSA PreCheck™.
The flight nurse helps you board the flight in advance to ensure you’re not waiting in lines or accidentally bumped into by another traveler. Your flight coordinator would have already chosen the best seat assignment for your situation and has arranged to have all the medication and supplies you need for the flight. RN flight nurses are experts at high-altitude healthcare which can also be referred to as aviation physiology. Medical flights and medical travel provide security and comfort to those who decide to work with a professional non-emergency medical transportation company.
Medical
emergency flights are sometimes referred to as medical flights, but the
difference is the “emergency” part.
Patients on an emergency medical flight are usually being taken from the scene of an accident or a natural disaster to a hospital. Emergency personnel provides medical care during the flight that focuses on preserving life until they can get to an intensive care unit. So, while the term medical flight might sometimes be used to refer to emergency flights, it typically refers to non-emergency medical transport. It’s a way for people to have peace of mind during their flight, knowing they will arrive safely and have help if any type of emergency does arise.
