Flight Nursing

Flight Nursing

Introduction

The role of a flight nurse is extensive and demanding and as such, carries a lot of responsibilities. Any small deviance from responsibilities or the slightest neglect can result in severe repercussions for the patient. Therefore, it is essential to underline the serious nature of the role of a flight nurse and implement it effectively. Over the past few decades, the importance of flight nurse and its market has significantly increased, and so has its level of knowledge, expertise and skills. Being a flight nurse requires a lot of work experience in traumatized related situations apart from additional qualifications. As a result, it turns out that the tasks of a flight nurse are more complicated and demanding than nurses of other fields (American, 2010).

Discussion

The role of a flight nurse comprises of providing ample medical and nursing care for all types of patients during airlift flights on airplanes, helicopters and various aircrafts by acting as a member of an aero medical crew. These operations are merely not restricted to air rescue but also involve care flight ambulances. They offer paramedic and acute nursing care to patients during the course of a rescue operation. These operations are basically of an emergency nature, but the role of a flight nurse goes far beyond than that (American, 2010). 

During such operations, the nurse needs to identify the nature of the illness or injury the patient through assessments and provide continuous treatment from the point of origin to the point of the patient's destination to the appropriate medical facility. The flight nurse documents the information of the patient and conveys it to the medical staff. At times, they must assess the needs of the in-flight patients and ask for the necessary medical supplies. The role of a flight nurse as such consists of acting as a link between the rescue operations personnel and the medical staff by accelerating the rescue efforts. At critical junctures, when there is an absence of a physician at the site of emergency, the flight nurse must commence emergency treatment (American Nurses Association, 2010) (Hepp, 1995).

Civilian flight nurses play their role in assisting evacuation and rescue operations in hospitals, government and non-government agencies. Military flight nurses engage in caring and transporting injured or wounded patients from combat zones (Hepp, 1995).

The concept of a flight nursing came to birth in roundabout 1925 when the U.S army corps designated a military plane to assist in emergency operations. The idea was then used by the United Airlines in 1930 when it first hired a qualified nurse. These steps evolved the idea of a flight nurse (Rumianek, 1965).

Its first practical usage began during the World War II when nurses were employed by the U.S military. Theses nurses assisted in the care of wounded soldiers. The impact of including flight nursing resulted in the rate of soldiers dying from injuries significantly declined (Whelan, Ely, & H, 1949).

The significance of including flight nursing can be gauged by comparing the conditions of injured soldiers during the two ...