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Maddilan
Student
Antwerp, Ohio
2
Questions
Asked
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What does the life of a life flight nurse/drs days consist of?
I am a sophomore in high school who knows they want to work in the medical field but not quite sure just what. I'm really interested in being a life flight nurse/dr but I feel like I don't know enough about it to know for sure if it's the path I wanna take.
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1 answer
Susana Abena Appiah
MIDWIFE
70
Answers
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Updated
Susana Abena’s Answer
Hello Maddilan, thanks for the question. I am not a flight nurse but below is my research.
The life of a life flight nurse or doctor is intense and demanding, often involving long, unpredictable shifts and a fast-paced work environment. Here's an overview of what their day might look like:
Life Flight Nurse:
Pre-Shift Preparation:
Equipment Check: Nurses ensure all medical equipment is functioning, including life-support systems, monitoring equipment, and medications.
Team Briefing: They review patient information, the mission, and potential risks with the medical flight team (doctors, paramedics, pilots).
Flight Missions:
Responding to Calls: Life flight nurses receive emergency alerts, usually by phone or radio, and quickly prepare to head to the scene.
Patient Care: Once on site, nurses stabilize the patient, administer treatments, manage airways, and ensure the patient is safe for transport. They work with the flight doctor and paramedics to provide life-saving care.
In-Flight Monitoring: During the flight, the nurse monitors the patient’s vitals, manages IVs, administers medication, and ensures the patient is stable during transport to a hospital.
Post-Shift Responsibilities:
Patient Handoff: Upon landing at the hospital, the nurse provides a detailed handoff to the hospital medical team.
Cleaning and Restocking: After the mission, the nurse ensures that all equipment is cleaned and restocked for the next flight.
Life Flight Doctor:
Pre-Shift Preparation:
Similar to nurses, doctors check medical equipment, review patient cases, and prepare for any emergencies.
Flight Missions:
Critical Decision Making: Doctors make crucial medical decisions in high-pressure situations, sometimes performing advanced procedures during the flight.
Patient Stabilization: Like nurses, doctors assist in stabilizing patients at the scene, using advanced medical techniques and monitoring.
Onboard Procedures: In-flight, they might perform surgeries or other life-saving measures to ensure the patient is as stable as possible upon arrival.
Post-Shift Responsibilities:
Patient Handoff: Doctors provide a detailed medical report to the receiving hospital team.
Documentation: They complete medical documentation related to the patient’s condition and treatment.
Skills and Training Required:
For Nurses: A Registered Nurse (RN) license is required, along with critical care experience (e.g., ICU, emergency room) and additional certifications like Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) or Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). Life flight nurses often undergo specialized flight training as well.
For Doctors: Doctors usually have a background in emergency medicine, anesthesiology, or trauma care. They also receive flight-specific training.
Is it the Right Path for You?
It’s understandable to have doubts, especially since life flight nurses and doctors deal with life-threatening emergencies. If you’re interested in working in high-pressure, fast-paced environments and enjoy problem-solving, this could be an exciting career path. The role also requires physical and emotional resilience, as you’ll be faced with life-or-death situations regularly.
If you want to explore this further, you might:
Shadow medical professionals in emergency medicine or flight teams to get a real sense of the work.
Take first aid or CPR courses to build basic medical skills and better understand the demands of emergency care.
Talk to life flight nurses and doctors to get insights into their day-to-day responsibilities and challenges.
As a high school sophomore, you have time to explore different areas within the medical field and decide which path excites you the most. Keep researching and gaining hands-on experience through volunteering, internships, or shadowing to make an informed decision.
The life of a life flight nurse or doctor is intense and demanding, often involving long, unpredictable shifts and a fast-paced work environment. Here's an overview of what their day might look like:
Life Flight Nurse:
Pre-Shift Preparation:
Equipment Check: Nurses ensure all medical equipment is functioning, including life-support systems, monitoring equipment, and medications.
Team Briefing: They review patient information, the mission, and potential risks with the medical flight team (doctors, paramedics, pilots).
Flight Missions:
Responding to Calls: Life flight nurses receive emergency alerts, usually by phone or radio, and quickly prepare to head to the scene.
Patient Care: Once on site, nurses stabilize the patient, administer treatments, manage airways, and ensure the patient is safe for transport. They work with the flight doctor and paramedics to provide life-saving care.
In-Flight Monitoring: During the flight, the nurse monitors the patient’s vitals, manages IVs, administers medication, and ensures the patient is stable during transport to a hospital.
Post-Shift Responsibilities:
Patient Handoff: Upon landing at the hospital, the nurse provides a detailed handoff to the hospital medical team.
Cleaning and Restocking: After the mission, the nurse ensures that all equipment is cleaned and restocked for the next flight.
Life Flight Doctor:
Pre-Shift Preparation:
Similar to nurses, doctors check medical equipment, review patient cases, and prepare for any emergencies.
Flight Missions:
Critical Decision Making: Doctors make crucial medical decisions in high-pressure situations, sometimes performing advanced procedures during the flight.
Patient Stabilization: Like nurses, doctors assist in stabilizing patients at the scene, using advanced medical techniques and monitoring.
Onboard Procedures: In-flight, they might perform surgeries or other life-saving measures to ensure the patient is as stable as possible upon arrival.
Post-Shift Responsibilities:
Patient Handoff: Doctors provide a detailed medical report to the receiving hospital team.
Documentation: They complete medical documentation related to the patient’s condition and treatment.
Skills and Training Required:
For Nurses: A Registered Nurse (RN) license is required, along with critical care experience (e.g., ICU, emergency room) and additional certifications like Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) or Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). Life flight nurses often undergo specialized flight training as well.
For Doctors: Doctors usually have a background in emergency medicine, anesthesiology, or trauma care. They also receive flight-specific training.
Is it the Right Path for You?
It’s understandable to have doubts, especially since life flight nurses and doctors deal with life-threatening emergencies. If you’re interested in working in high-pressure, fast-paced environments and enjoy problem-solving, this could be an exciting career path. The role also requires physical and emotional resilience, as you’ll be faced with life-or-death situations regularly.
If you want to explore this further, you might:
Shadow medical professionals in emergency medicine or flight teams to get a real sense of the work.
Take first aid or CPR courses to build basic medical skills and better understand the demands of emergency care.
Talk to life flight nurses and doctors to get insights into their day-to-day responsibilities and challenges.
As a high school sophomore, you have time to explore different areas within the medical field and decide which path excites you the most. Keep researching and gaining hands-on experience through volunteering, internships, or shadowing to make an informed decision.