When patients are in an unstable condition, it is typically not recommended to move or relocate them. Even when the need for medical attention is urgent, it always pays to weigh the possible risks and benefits, and be prudent in regard to moving an injured or critically ill person.
Sometimes though, it simply can’t wait. In these dire situations, critical care flight nurses make the difference. Flight nurses are life savers, in every sense of the word.
How is Flight Nursing Different Than Regular Care?
Nursing is already a skilled profession. The training and experience needed to provide excellent medical care to patients on the ground and in fully-equipped facilities is doubled for those who do so in risky scenarios in midair.
Think about how frightening it would be to be asked to do your job – whatever that job may be – while crowded into a small aircraft, flying at top speed and without most of the equipment or tools you are accustomed to working with. This is what flight nurses do every day, and it is this impressive job description that makes these professionals indispensable to the medical community.
When It’s Urgent, Take to the Skies
The seriousness of a medical complication, injury or illness must be extreme to necessitate flight as part of the emergency response plan. This is why the skill of flight nurses is important, but even more so, it’s why critical care flight nurses must be able to perform well under pressure. A cool head and unflappable nature is a key factor for flight nursing, and these people must balance this calmness with a compassion for people in need. Nurses in the skies aren’t just heroes, they’re the closest thing to angels you will encounter this side of heaven!
