certified transport registered nurse

who is a certified registered transport nurse?

A certified registered transport nurse is the one who is trained to provide medical care to patients who need transportation to a healthcare facility. This is a highly skilled job where she/he is responsible for the overall medical & non-medical management of the patient during the duration of the transit and offering en route care that could spell the difference between life and death.

when do we need these nurses?

Transport registered nurses are required when a patient needs to be urgently transported to a healthcare facility, which is usually a hospital. There are several situations that warrant the need for advanced nurse transport like:

• In case of a serious road accident. 
• Life-threatening sports-related injuries and fall injuries.
• Fire or drowning-related accidents. 
• Severe and sudden complications arising out of a pre-existing health condition. 
• Sudden medical emergencies like cardiac arrest, trauma, severe asthma attack, etc. 
• Complications arising out of mental illnesses like self-mutilations, etc. 

what does a transport nurse do?

The primary responsibility of a transport nurse is to ensure that a patient is brought to a healthcare facility for medical interventions safely and in-time. Their responsibilities include:

• Assessing the condition of the patient upon their arrival.
• Stabilizing the patient and readying her/him for the transport.
• Monitoring and evaluating the patient’s vital signs and reporting to the hospital where they are to be received. 
• Performing emergency medical and non-medical procedures as per the need of the patient like intubation, resuscitation, etc. 
• Making quick decisions regarding the best or additional medical support that the patient might require. 
• Monitoring patient for any reactions to the medications provided and responding to changes in the condition, if any.
• Communicating with the patient’s family and apprising them of the patient’s condition and the location of the hospital where the patient is being taken.
• Transferring all the medical records of the patient and updating the hospital of the patient’s condition at the time of handing over her/him to the facility. 

frequently asked questions

Where does a transport nurse work?

Transport registered nurses that work on the ground usually work in an ambulance and those who work in flights work aboard a medical transport aircraft. Other places of work may include ships and helicopters. There is another category of nurses who are specially trained to accompany newborns on medical transports to the neonatal intensive care unit. These specialists are known as NICU transport nurses.

Who does a transport nurse work for?

Transport nurses may work for any of these medical facilities:

• Hospitals
• Clinics
• National or international non-profits offering medical services
• Military
• Long-term medical care facilities
• Any other authorised nurse transportation service.

What skills are required for becoming a transport nurse?

A transport nurse is an extremely critical resource and her/his skills are lifesavers while a patient is in a delicate situation in the midst of a critical transit. Some of the benchmarking skills that a transport nurse must possess include:

• Strong communication skills as they need to communicate evidence-based information and facts to the physicians and the patient’s family.
• Ability to work in extremely high-pressure situations. 
• Ability to work in confined spaces and being focused on the patient while ignoring all the distractions that come with working in a moving vehicle. 
• Ability to take quick decisions and implementing them.
• Good organizational skills to organize the patient’s transit, ensuring all the supplies are available, assisting him en route, and getting the hospital ready for their arrival.
• Ability to execute skilled nursing facility transportation and work independently without waiting for directions.
• Leadership skills to guide other teams, transport staff, patient’s families, and the medical teams at the receiving hospital.