Stories From Children's Nurses in Flight: Exploring Experiences of Air Medical Transfers.

OBJECTIVE: Nurses are immersed in stories, and nurses who participate in flight transfers have stories to tell that may hold interest and offer insight for air medical professionals around the world. METHODS: Using a narrative inquiry methodology, 5 nurses working for a children's transport service in England were invited to tell stories from their experiences of air medical transfers. The aim of this article was to describe the meanings the nurses assigned to their experiences of flight transfers and to develop an interpretation of the narrative accounts, investigating the implications of the stories. RESULTS: This study provides a record of nurses' flight experiences within a predominately road-based children's transport service. The analysis considered the following topics: humor, parental presence on transport, and the joy and fear associated with the work. Implications for the training of nurses who fly were identified; it is recommended that the design of training should place the technical challenges of the work in the context of the emotional challenges. CONCLUSION: This article is a timely reflection on the social context of this new nursing experience for any situation around the world, which is seeing expansion of children's air medical transport provision.

"Flight Nurses," or "Nurses Who Fly"? An International Perspective on the Role of Flight Nurses.

OBJECTIVE: Discovering how transport nurses around the world are prepared and supported for a flight role may illuminate areas of best practice. This article reviews the flight nursing research, exploring what the international literature tells us about the role of flight nurses and discovering lessons from their experiences that may have particular relevance for the UK context. METHODS: The results of a literature search and thematic synthesis for flight nursing research are described. RESULTS: Thirteen research articles were obtained covering a broad range of countries. The scope of practice encompasses primary and secondary transport services and both civilian and military personnel. In an attempt to distill the role, work, and purpose of a flight nurse, a list of all the themes and categories that could be identified within the literature was assembled. These were inductively refined into 8 cluster themes, seeking to capture a broad description of the role of a nurse who flies. The definition of a "flight nurse" in the international context is debated. Thoughts related to training and education and, in particular, the nontechnical challenges of the role are discussed. CONCLUSION: This reflection provides insights that will influence the ongoing conversation around future air medical service development.