On February 5, the first day of the 2008 Regular Session of the Alabama Legislature, Representative Ronald G. Johnson of Sylacauga, Alabama introduced a House Joint Resolution on behalf of AirMed International. The Resolution designated February 18, 2008 as Critical Care Transport Nurses Day in Alabama. The Resolution quickly passed both houses of the Legislature and was signed by Governor Bob Riley on February 11, 2008.
Throughout Alabama, nurses are part of the team providing care to critically ill and injured patients at thescene of accidents and during transport between facilities in aircraft and ground ambulances. Theseprofessionals bring the skills of a critical care nurse to the patient, providing care and comfort duringtransport.
More information on Flight Nurses and AirMed International:
On February 18, 1943, the first class of flight nurses graduated from their specialized course of medical training in Louisville, Kentucky. On this day in history, the new field of “transport nursing” emerged as a specialty when both the Army and Navy instituted flight nurse programs. Since that time, nurses have expanded their role in this field to include not only the military but the civilian sector, responding to care for patients in ambulances, helicopters, and jet aircraft.
Based in Birmingham, Alabama,
AirMed International is the nation’s leading air ambulance company and employs critical care nurses as an integral component of their worldwide air ambulance operations. AirMed is a member of the Air and Surface Transport Nurses Association (ASTNA) which is also known as the National Flight Nurses Association.
ASTNA is the nationally recognized professional organization for nurses practicing in the critical care transport industry, and each year it sponsors Critical Care Transport Nurses Day to recognize the uniqueness of what transport nurses do and the difference they make in the lives of their patients.
AirMed International was chosen as fixed-wing air medical transport for the world-renowned Mayo Clinic and is a preferred carrier for the U.S. Department of Defense. AirMed operates a fleet of fully customized fixed-wing aircraft from its headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama, with additional bases in Honolulu, Hawaii, Rochester, Minnesota and their newest base in Hong Kong. AirMed flies more than 2,100 transport missions each year and boasts the most experienced medical teams in the industry with a full complement of critical care transport nurses and physicians.
www.airmed.com
