Kim Hoolahan

I am currently the Medical Team Manager at Cega looking after our hard working and dynamic office nurses. It's a challenging and stimulating job, which is never ever boring!

Previous work experience

I have a background as an intensive care nurse and combined this with flight nursing when Cega owned its own fleet of air ambulances. I worked for several years on ITU flights transferring ventilated patients all over the world. I also repatriated less ill patients on commercial flights.

How did I get into medical case management/flight nursing?

I returned from working in Australia and was told about Cega by my brother who was a pilot for them at the time. Not the usual route into this field but I don't think it would have entered my head as a career option if I hadn't been pointed in this direction.

Education

• I have post registration qualifications in neurological/neurosurgical and ICU nursing.
• I attend regular Cega and RCN flight nursing study days.

What do I enjoy most about being a flight nurse?

I haven't flown a patient for several years as my office role takes all my time but I feel that my experience as a flight nurse is essential for overseeing the office team as they organise repatriations. I used to love the opportunity to see the world, even for a short period of time. Long haul flights to exotic lands were my favourite. During my career I have flown to Europe, USA, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Vietnam and Argentina. I was also lucky enough to travel to La Paz (the highest capital city in the world). Other journeys include working in Namibia over sand dunes, repatriating a stretcher patient back from Bali (in the rear section where every single passenger smoked) and experiencing Venice by water ambulance to/from the hospital.

What were my most challenging repatriations?

I started way back in the old days where we didn't have mobiles and I can remember often running around in airports with pockets of change trying to contact the office to find out why the tickets hadn't been set up. Now good calls and organization by the office mean this is well under control.

What important character traits are needed as a flight nurse?

• Flexibility: things change and you need to be able to adapt and think on your feet.
• The ability to enjoy your own company: you'll have hours flying to collect your patient and then have to sit in a restaurant on your own for dinner. I really enjoyed this and used it as a time to catch up on correspondence and reading.
• You need to like people: on long haul flights you will spend hours and hours in close proximity with your patient and possibly their family. By the time you get them back to the UK you will know ALL about their children, grandchildren and pets. Combined with jet lag and an early start this can be challenging if you are not genuinely interested.
• You need to be fairly physically robust: the job can be demanding. Sometimes you can find that there are luggage or logistical challenges you hadn't anticipated. This combined with early starts and a lack of sleep this can be exhausting.
• You need to be assertive: at times hospitals will not want to give you information, ambulances will be late and airport staff will want to take your equipment away. You need to combine a pleasant manner with a steely determination to get what is best for your patient.

Top Tips

• Have a bag permanently partially packed for short notice calls.
• Make sure you read your notes before you set off, not on the flight out. Questions should be answered before you leave the UK if possible.
• Keep hydrated on the flight and walk up and down the aisle. DVT precautions apply to you as well as your patient.
• Take a door wedge and read your company's safety advice.
• Enjoy it! You will go to some amazing places. Try to see more than just the airport and hospital if you have time.