Louise Norris

Nursing Officer at IMG (International Medical Group) Europe, based in Redhill. I previously worked at Intana for 2 years and FirstAssist for 12 years.

Previous work experience

• ICU
• Hyperbaric medicine
• Gastroenterology
• Urology

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

I first started flying and working in the office at FirstAssist in 2001. I had never heard of this type of work before and saw an advertisement in the Nursing Times. I didn't know anyone who did this type of work and had just moved back from Australia and thought I would give it a go. 18 years later I am still doing it and have met some fantastic people along the way.

Education

• Intensive Care Nursing Course
• 998 Teaching & Assessing
• Diploma in Tropical Medicine
• Travel Medicine
• CCAT - Clinical Considerations in Aviation Transport
• Yearly RCN In Flight Nursing Course
• Advanced Trauma Nursing Course
• Hyperbaric Medicine

What do I enjoy most about being a flight nurse?

As is true in many aspects of nursing no two days are the same. I like dealing with Air Ambulance transfers and these used to be my favourite repatriations. Travelling high above the clouds in a light aircraft on a sunny day was the ultimate for me. Also doing the commercial stretcher transfers were my favourites. I love the logistics of arranging repatriations and the "thinking outside the box" that is often required. Before I had my son I travelled a lot and it brought me to many different parts of the world.

What were my most challenging repatriations?

Just a few examples below!

I had to go to Asia many years ago to bring back two2 patients who had been in an air crash where there had been many casualties. A team of us went to offer psychological as well as physical care. It was very difficult especially as we had a bumpy flight for the last leg of the journey to Ireland as they were very frightened.

A difficult stretcher repatriation from Greece; major difficulties getting the patient to the airport as the doctor was not the most honest and then when we eventually got there our stretcher got cancelled. Ended up nursing this poor patient in a State hospital in Greece for 14 hours before an AA evac to Athens was arranged.

On a commercial stretcher back from Goa I had a challenging patient! He kept telling the whole cabin when he needed to "defacate". I have never seen the economy cabin clear around us so quickly. It always makes me laugh when I think of it. I think a lot of people were put off their dinner that flight.

All of the repatriations that are difficult are often logistical challenges (ambulance not turning up etc), but on the whole it is a lot of fun and a great job to do.

What important character traits are needed as a flight nurse?

• Patience (especially when it comes to arranging the repatriations, there is an awful lot involved which the flight nurse/medical escort may not know about but the office staff can have a bit of a tough time).
• Respect and understanding of the culture of the country you are travelling to
• Resilience, assertiveness
• Ability to roll with the punches and adapt to the situation
• Problem solving is key
• Good sense of humour

Top Tips

• Always have a spare pair of pants...and a toothbrush...you never know when you may get delayed!
• Ensure you know the medical kit you are taking and what is expected of you when collecting / returning etc
• Don't forget your passport...mine fell out of my bag once and I didn't realise until I got to the airport!
• Research where you are going if it is not somewhere you are familiar with. Ensure you know the travel distances and be proactive with asking the Operations staff about the logistics rather than wait for them to tell you.
• Spare nasal cannula are always handy, I always had a spare in my own personal bag.
• Communication is key.