Air ambulances meet the challenge of geography

Whether it's a ride from one hospital to another or from an accident scene to urgently needed care at the closest hospital, the air ambulance program in Alberta is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. There are twelve airplanes and two helicopters contracted to Alberta Health and Wellness and their services can be arranged by a doctor, a hospital or local emergency medical staff.

As part of the air medical crew, flight nurses work with flight paramedics and flight physicians to provide the best care they can until the patients arrives at the designated hospital. This includes treating patients before they are air-lifted as well as, looking after them on the flight.

The nurses are experienced, Registered Nurses with backgrounds in Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, Critical Care Unit or Cardiac Care Unit environments. They usually continue to work at their home base while being available to treat and accompany patients whenever necessary. They also take extra training for the emergency care they have to give under sometimes trying circumstances - minimum training requirements include additional certification in Advance Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) or Basic Trauma Life Support (BTLS) is also required.

And, as do firefighters, nurses involved in such an emergency environment, have to be physically fit in order to deal with a variety of possibly strenuous situations.