News states that Emirates—one of the largest airlines providing long distance travel in the world—had about 194,000 flights last year. In the course of a whole year, the airline handled medical emergencies that led to those flights being diverted to the nearest healthcare facility. That’s how likely medical emergencies are when you’re 30,000 feet in the air.
Do you need a nurse companion?
If you’re already sick or suffering from injuries, though, that could exponentially increase the chances of an emergency happening. Without proper medical assistance and help, you could overexert yourself, miss a dosage and spend more than a couple of those hours in flight, in pain and discomfort. Hiring an international travel nursing professional can keep these things from happening.
What does a travel nurse do?
The job of a professional medical escort (PME) or travel nurse isn’t one for the faint of heart. Transferring patients on a commercial flight is often difficult and fraught with pressure. Many of them do a great job of making this happen. It’s already a daunting experience to care for the sick but doing it while you’re a few thousand feet above ground means there’s no one to call in case the situation gets worse. An international travel nursing professional is responsible for the care and welfare of the patient—in this case, you or a loved one.
How to choose one?
Given the huge amount of responsibility that PMEs have, you’ll want to make sure you hire a registered nurse (RN) for the job. Pick an air travel companion that has enough training and experience to handle these situations. Some medical assistance companies provide RNs fully capable of dispensing companion duties alongside their other tasks. That could make for an ideal solution.
If you or a loved one is sick or injured, get help coming home on that international fight. Hire a qualified PME to take care of you.
