Surge in air ambulance accidents...

sissiesmama, ASN, RN · Jul 16, 2008

Hello all,
I am a brand new RN looking to eventually become a flight nurse! It has been my dream for a long time, and am looking forward to a possible ride along in the fall. However, the number of recent crashes (ie the collision in flagstaff, AZ) has left me wondering... is this branch of the profession doomed to be phased out due to safety reasons? I am also beginning to have second thoughts about going on the ride along. I want to continue to pursue it, but now im not sure.....
Any thoughts?

Hello - Like you, I had always dreamed of becoming a flight nurse when I started nursing school. I was finishing up prereqs and one night I was driving home from work in bad weather when to my right I noticed strange lights and the ground shook right bedside my car. Almost like an earthquake or something. Well, it was the transport ambulance's helicopter that I wanted to work on. Needless I chickened out on the flight nurse part and just stick with the ER/Trauma part but just staying on the ground.

Anne, RNC :paw::paw::paw: :saint:

Rio, ASN, RN · Jul 21, 2008

hello all,
i am a brand new rn looking to eventually become a flight nurse! it has been my dream for a long time, and am looking forward to a possible ride along in the fall. however, the number of recent crashes (ie the collision in flagstaff, az) has left me wondering... is this branch of the profession doomed to be phased out due to safety reasons?
no, i don't think that hems will be phased out due to lack of safety. however, declining reimbursements from insurance companies, rising fuel cost/operating cost and over saturation of the market will limit growth and eventually we will start to see isolated programs shut down.
there is considerable variability in the hems industry regarding safety and there is no panacea to preventing hems crashes. however, one major step forward would be to have dual piloted ac with nvg and ifr capabilities. so why not ? ... because it would cut into the corporate profits ! ie.. "the bottom line."
the faa will eventually seek to mitigate safety variables via regulation.
i am also beginning to have second thoughts about going on the ride along. i want to continue to pursue it, but now im not sure.....
any thoughts?

if you are having second thoughts then listen to them. too many people [crew] climb on board and abdicate responsibilty for their personal safety to more experienced providers and the pilot.

CSARmedic · Oct 12, 2008

however, one major step forward would be to have dual piloted ac with nvg and ifr capabilities.

i wouldn't be too sure of that. i have hundreds of hours behind nvg's. they do not increase flight safety. they do allow you to do more dangerous things and fly in more dangerous environments which considerably increases the margin of risk and substantially increases pucker factor.

nvg competency requires extensive training, time-in-seat experience, and standards and evaluation before they should be utilized. it is a very expensive and risky proposition which does not, in my opinion, show an equitable cost-to-risk benefit ratio for a civilian company.

john s. master sergeant, usafr, (rn) emt-p

ncoic, flight medicine

301st rescue squadron

somewhere in afghanistan

GilaRRT · Oct 12, 2008

The only way you increase risk is by performing riskier operations because you have night vision capabilities.

Take my employer for example. We only fly VFR when it comes to rotor wing response. Following the institution of our NVG program nothing changed regarding our minimums or mission profile. We still perform the same mission. How can you tell me we do not benefit from instituting a NVG program?

If anything, we are actually safer. We have much more visual information avaliable when approaching and making a night scene recon and even have much more information avaliable when making night airport and hospital pad approaches and landings. We are able to make better decisions with this additional information.

The only way a NVG program could be harmful is if people think they can perform outside of established minimums and SOP's because they think NVG's give them some super power senses or some such thinking. Any prudent PIC and or crew would be crazy to think in this manner.

I agree properly instituting a program will cost money. We had to buy expensive ANVIS 9's for PIC's and crew. In addition, the initial, ongoing, and recurrent training requirements are expensive.

By the way, keep you head down. The security situation is...less than ideal where I work in Afghanistan. I understand it is much worse in other areas of the country. Stay safe.

CSARmedic · Oct 12, 2008

Hey, where are you? [PM] me

GilaRRT · Oct 12, 2008

Hehe, small world.

GilaRRT · Oct 16, 2008

To discuss things further in light of yet another tragic crash, let me take a step back on the NVG stance? Should we even fly at night? Should we fly if there is even a chance of poor weather? Should we even be flying most of our patients? Come clean now, how many of us are flying patients with minor problems. Hey, I understand business, capitalism, and wanting to make a buck. However, when we have a fly by night HEMS service on every corner flying every possible patient and competing ferociously with the next guy, do we really have a recipe for safety?

FlyingScot, RN · Oct 16, 2008

to discuss things further in light of yet another tragic crash, let me take a step back on the nvg stance? should we even fly at night? no!
should we fly if there is even a chance of poor weather? no!
should we even be flying most of our patients? no!
come clean now, how many of us are flying patients with minor problems. everyone!
hey, i understand business, capitalism, and wanting to make a buck. however, when we have a fly by night hems service on every corner flying every possible patient and competing ferociously with the next guy, do we really have a recipe for safety? i think this years statistics alone prove that no, we don't have a recipe for safety.

sorry but this was the one that finally put me over the edge.