Should a pregnant flight nurse be allowed to fly?
The question posed at the start of this article, "Should a pregnant flight nurse be allowed to fly?" must be answered with qualifications. A flight nurse should not necessarily stop flying at the beginning of her pregnancy. The known and unknown risks specific to a particular program should be identified. The risk posed for maternal-fetal oxygen can be combated by using supplemental oxygen for the flight nurse who reaches cabin altitudes greater than 8,000 feet, although no documented adverse fetal effects have been reported at higher altitudes. A pregnancy policy that allows the flight nurse to leave active flight status when necessary, for whatever reason, and to return after maternity leave is optimal. An air medical program can always benefit from a temporary "ground nurse" who takes an intense look at quality assurance, community outreach, or flight nursing research.
Drew
K G
KG
Vanderbilt LifeFlight, Nashville, TN.
D000401:Aircraft; D000532:Altitude Sickness; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005221:Fatigue; D005260:Female; D005568:Forms and Records Control; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006801:Humans; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D016272:Occupational Health; D011050:Policy Making; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D013714:Tennessee