Vacations are meant to be a time of relaxation and making lasting memories. However, unforeseen accidents or injuries can cast a shadow over even the sunniest of getaways. Knowing what to do if you get hurt on vacation is crucial to ensuring your well-being and minimizing the impact on your travel experience.
People rarely think about or plan for the possibility of getting hurt. Nor do they plan for what to do if they actually do get injured. The following looks first at planning tips to take before your vacation, and then at steps to take if you do get hurt while travelling.
What To Do If You Get Hurt on Vacation: Planning Ahead
Planning for safety in the event of getting injured is a vital part of getting prepared for any trip. One of the key factors is having reliable contacts if you get into a situation where you require medical aid.
One sure way to have that is to work with a company such as Flying Angels that provides medical transport for those who need aid and support. That’s a decision that can alleviate a lot of the worry associated with planning for a medical emergency while on vacation.
Here are some essential tips for a smoother experience should you face medical challenges while on vacation.
Buy Insurance
Shop around for travel insurance. Decent rates are available. While the last thing you want to think about before a big trip is something going wrong, getting insurance will provide you with peace of mind in case the worst happens.
Travel Insurance vs. Trip Insurance
It’s important to keep in mind the difference between medical travel insurance and trip insurance. Travel insurance is essentially an extra health insurance policy to cover you if you experience health-related issues while traveling. Trip insurance covers you for travel-related financial losses, such as cancellations, delays, missed flight connections, and lost baggage.
Bring Important Numbers
Make sure to not only have the right numbers to call in case of an accident at your travel destination but also numbers for your doctor and medical care team back at home. In some cases, you’ll want to consult with your own doctor before getting medical treatment far from home.
Practice Smart Packing
Take any medication you think you might need on the road. This can include antibiotics, pain medication, antihistamine and even antidiarrheal medicine (trouble digesting the local cuisine is one of the chief causes of medical issues, especially on trips out of the country). Also, make sure all your vaccinations are up to date before you hit the road.
Equipment
If your trip involves hiking, biking or otherwise spending time in nature, consider upgrading to travel outfitters that will offer you the best equipment available as well as extra insurance. They may also offer numbers to call and support for getting out of tough places and to a hospital.
Use Common Sense
If something is bothering you or you don’t feel right, take it seriously. One of the worst mistakes travelers make is ignoring signs of illness or the pain of an injury. That’s understandable. No one wants to have a vacation “ruined.” However, it’s far worse to pretend something isn’t happening, which will only make it worse later.
In Case of Injury
The moment you sustain an injury, whether it’s a twisted ankle on a hiking trail or a minor accident at the beach, prioritize seeking immediate medical attention. Your health should always be the top priority. If the injury is severe, don’t hesitate to call emergency services or visit the nearest hospital. Many travel destinations have medical facilities that cater to tourists, so don’t be afraid to ask for assistance.
Contact Your Travel Insurance Provider
If you find yourself injured, reach out to your medical travel insurance provider as soon as possible. Be prepared to provide all necessary documentation, including medical reports and receipts, to expedite the claims process.
Document the Incident and Gather Information
Whether it’s a slip and fall or a more serious accident, document the incident as thoroughly as possible. Take photos of the scene, your injuries, and any contributing factors. If there are witnesses, obtain their contact information. This documentation can be crucial when dealing with insurance claims or legal matters that may arise later.
Notify Relevant Authorities
If the injury occurred in a public place or due to the negligence of a third party, it’s essential to notify the relevant authorities. This step is especially important if you plan to file a legal claim for damages. In many tourist destinations, there are local agencies or tourist police specifically designated to handle such incidents.
Follow Up on Medical Treatment
After seeking initial medical attention, it’s crucial to follow up on your treatment plan. This may involve additional visits to local healthcare facilities or consulting with healthcare providers upon your return home. Staying proactive about your recovery ensures that any potential long-term effects are identified and addressed promptly.
Stay in Communication with Your Travel Companions
If you’re traveling with others, communication is key. Keep your travel companions informed about your condition and any necessary adjustments to your itinerary. If you are able to continue on your trip, collaborate on decisions related to the pace of activities and potential changes to plans to accommodate your recovery.
Getting Home
Medical transport companies can also be of significant help for injuries where you cannot continue your trip and want to return home. Flying Angels has years of experience offering medical transport to people traveling with injuries or illness. Through a flight coordinator, you will have complete support in getting medical aid, even when flying outside the country.
Keep these issues in mind when getting ready to take a trip, whether it’s domestic or international. A good plan will provide peace of mind. It also will make things go a lot smoother if you are hurt when on vacation.
In most cases, you can use your own wheelchair all the way into the airport, through security, and to the boarding area. At that point, you will typically be transferred to a special wheelchair that can fit in the plane aisle while your own chair is safely stored in the airplane cabin during the flight.
Airlines also typically want to pre-board passengers when they use a wheelchair. Once you arrive at the airport, your own chair is quickly available for your use.
If you plan to fly and use a wheelchair, there are important issues to keep in mind.
Check With Airline Beforehand
Let the airline know you use a chair and what flight you will be taking. This allows them to prepare for your arrival and ensure they have the right personnel and equipment to meet your needs. Also, it gives you a chance to become familiar with the rules on disabled travel for your particular airline.
Airlines use a special service request code in their records to mark passengers who need assistance. The codes for wheelchair use include WCHR (can walk for short distances and on stairs), WCHS (can walk short distances, but not on stairs), WCHC (cannot walk at all and will need aisle wheelchair on board plane), WCOB (aisle wheelchair requested for during flight).
Also, familiarize yourself with the Air Carriers Access Act of 1986, so you will know your rights under the law for flying with a wheelchair in the United States.
Prepare Your Wheelchair
Let the airline know what type of chair you will be storing – hand-propelled or electric. If electric, let them know what type of battery you use. Those with wet acid batteries will need to arrive earlier than usual, as the battery will need to be removed and placed in a special container during the flight.
Also, it’s wise to remove any detachable parts from your wheelchair to prevent damage. Label your chair with your name, address, and destination airport, just as you would with luggage.
It’s also good to make sure you have insurance to cover any damage to the chair or any personal injury during the flight.
Arrive Earlier
It’s good to arrive at the airport about three hours before your flight to ensure you have plenty of time to make it through the airport, security and to the gate. Time also is needed to transfer you to the aisle chair and store your wheelchair.
Complaints and Problems
Should problems arise during the flight with either you or your chair or if you have issues with how you are being treated, ask to speak to the Complaints Resolution Officer. There should be one on each flight. This is where having a good understanding of your rights by law can also prove helpful. The officer is there to mitigate any problems and make sure your needs are met.
These are some of the key issues to keep in mind. While you can certainly fly with your wheelchair, it goes best when you take the time to prepare.
The inability to access lavatories on single-aisle planes has lead an advocacy group to file a lawsuit against the federal department of Transportation (DOT). The lawsuit seeks to force the DOT to mandate that airlines make lavatories wheelchair accessible for disabled travelers.
It’s a change that those with disabilities have waited on for more than 30 years. Requiring single-aisle planes to have accessible lavatories was envisioned in the 1986 Air Carrier Access Act.
Disabled Travelers Lawsuit
James Thomas Wheaton, the veteran who leads the Paralyzed Veterans of America organization that filed the lawsuit, told USA Today he has spent three decades hoping that DOT would make the change. He said the inability to use the bathroom during long flights is “a horrific feeling. In my 30 years of being disabled, I feel the most paralyzed and the most limited in those settings.”
Wheaton was paralyzed after getting hit by a drunk driver while serving with the Navy in Australia.
Bathroom Issues
For those without disabilities, it’s difficult to imagine the discomfort and pain for disabled travelers who cannot use the bathroom.
Most domestic flights use single-aisle planes, so without handicapped-accessible bathrooms, disabled travelers are forced to wait until the plane lands and everyone disembarks before they can get to an accessible bathroom in the airport.
It’s a terrible experience. Two-thirds of those surveyed by the DOT on the issue in 2016 said that it’s enough to make them avoid flying entirely.
As it stands, it’s difficult to maneuver to the bathrooms even while using an onboard wheelchair designed for the narrow aisle. There are raised bumps on the threshold of the lavatory that are hard to cross. Also, bathroom doors tend to face each other across a narrow aisle, making it hard to maneuver.
Airline Issues
For airlines, expanding the size of onboard lavatories to make them wheelchair accessible would require an investment of money and a loss of space in the plane cabin.
Representatives of the airlines have told Congress that expanding the bathrooms could cost them three passenger seats in the cabin, leading to a loss of $33 billion over the next 25 years, according to USA Today.
There’s been inaction on the issue by the federal government. The Trump Administration has suspended the creation of new regulations pending review of ones proposed during the Obama Administration.
On its website, the Paralyzed Veterans of America urges members to contact their representatives on several related issues. They include formation of a disabled traveler’s bill of rights and harsher penalties for those who injure disabled travelers or break their wheelchairs.
Both things happen with regularity, according to the advocacy group.The organization states that while some changes have been made to help the disabled on flights, “It’s clear that more must be done.”
An airline nurse provides care for patients during every phase of air transportation. While salaries for the position vary based on many factors, including years of experience and level of education, the average salary for airline nurses across the United States is $82,207 according to Salary.com.
Across the country, airline nurses typically have salaries that range between $73,000 and $92,000. However, it is often found that airline nurses or associated medical transport professionals are paid on a per diem basis vs. a salary.
What An Airline Nurse Does
In many ways, the job of an airline nurse mirrors that of an emergency room nurse.
Nurses who work in an ER must manage diverse types of patients suffering from a wide variety of illness and injuries. They are trained to make fast, smart decisions in an often-frenetic environment.
Many airline nurses have years of experience working in an emergency room. The skills gained there help them better perform their job as an airline nurse.
An airline nurse has many responsibilities. They assess a patient’s condition before traveling. Then, they develop a transport plan to get the patient to their destination safely. They also work with airline personnel to make the trip through the airport as easy as possible. They may also coordinate ground transportation on both ends of the trip.
Most importantly, they are specially trained to provide quality care to patients during the flight. They have expertise in the details of providing medical care while thousands of feet in the air.
An airline nurse can work in emergency situations. However, many also work with patients who are ill or have had injuries but must still take a flight. Others also work with older or chronically ill patients who require professional medical care while taking a flight.
Salary Differences By Region
Location is a key component of salary in all professions. The online salary aggregator site Salary.com allows you to look at places where some of the highest salaries are available for an airline nurse. As with most professions, the highest salaries are in California and the Northeast.
Some of the highest salaries are in counties that include the following cities:
San Francisco ($100,525)
San Jose ($99,735)
New York City ($99,471)
Boston ($93,911)
Los Angeles ($92,411)
Others area where salaries are above average include Chicago, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Seattle, and Miami.
Many factors other than location play a role in salary. They include years of experience in both emergency rooms and as an airline nurse, Also, the level of college degree attained and certifications earned play a role. Higher salaries also are typically given for positions in management.
Growth in the field continues as more people become aware of the benefits of medical transport service. For nurses, it offers an exciting opportunity outside the typical environments of a hospital, physician’s office or long-term care home.
The idea of patient advocacy has been around for many years. In the past, a patient advocate usually meant a member of the family, a good friend or perhaps a clergyman or pastor.
The idea is to have a person who advocates on your behalf with doctors, nurses and other medical staff.
Family members, friends and others can still fulfill this role. However, it long ago became a position held by many medical professionals.
Most associate professional patient advocates with hospital stays. Advocates in those positions do offer a good example of the fundamental services that an advocate provides for a patient.
For example, they closely monitor the patient’s well-being, both physical and emotional, and give them an opportunity to discuss those issues. A patient advocate acts as a liaison between the patient and medical staff.
In general, they help cut through red tape and get patients what they need. They act as a supporter, promoter and spokesperson. It’s a key position to help people get better medical care, and it leads to better patient outcomes.
In Medical Transport
Patient advocates also play a role in medical transport. Usually the job is much more broad and complex than those who work in hospitals.
In medical transport, the patient advocate is a flight nurse, such as those on staff with Flying Angels. They are trained in emergency room work. They know how to handle medical treatment, even at 35,000 feet. They also play a key role as an advocate.
A flight nurse works with disabled patients, ensuring they have adequate transport to and from the airport. In the airport itself, they make sure that patients have the services they need to make them as comfortable as possible through the boarding procedure.
During the flight, the patient advocate works with the flight crew. They make sure patients have the space they need. They also carry the medications they need and work with the flight crew for anything additional they might require in flight.
They are by the patient’s side throughout the entire experience. And because of their training and experience, they make the entire process that much easier for patients as well as their family.
As the above shows, having a patient advocate provides a great deal of comfort for those who feel they will need assistance while flying.
This can include those flying for medical treatment in a faraway city. But it also includes those who simply are traveling for a fun vacation or to visit family. If they feel they will need assistance, a patient advocate is the perfect solution to their needs and a Flight Coordinator can help organize all your travel arrangements in advance.
Those who have become a medical escort take on a job that comes with many responsibilities and a great deal of pressure. But for those with the proper training and right kind of experience and personality, it’s a rewarding field to enter.
What Does a Medical Escort Do?
Medical escorts are highly trained, experienced nurses who travel with patients, typically on a commercial flight. In the case of Flying Angels, which specializes in medical transport, all flight nurses have years of experience working in emergency rooms and acute care.
Medical escorts can also work for emergency services. For example, they accompany people from the scene of an accident or a natural disaster, ensuring they remain stable until arriving at a hospital. But, typically, most medical escorts work in the non-emergency medical transport field.
In either case, the job can be daunting, as medical escorts typically travel alone with a sick or injured patient at 35,000 feet.
Job Duties of Medical Escorts
A medical escort’s job is complex. In a non-emergency situation, they may travel with patients from their home to the airport. They then stay with them as they get through the airport to their gate, working with airport staff to make the journey as easy as possible. That includes issues such as early boarding and access to comfortable lounges if a long wait is required. They also assist in disembarking from the plane when they arrive at their destination.
The most critical component of the job is during air travel. Here, medical escorts take on the sole responsibility of monitoring and maintaining their patient’s health. They manage the administration of any medications and assist patients with issues such as eating or going to the bathroom.
All this requires experience and skill in handling any medical situation or emergency that may arise. They also must have expertise in providing medical care at high altitudes and carry whatever medical equipment and medication a patient might need as they fly.
Education Needed for Medical Escorts
Medical escorts are expected to have at least a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Such programs include coursework in physical and social sciences, as well as critical thinking and communication. Medical escorts also must have the leadership abilities to take charge and manage the patient’s situation throughout the travel process.
All medical escorts must have Registered nursing (RN) license to practice.
There also are certificates that can be earned to demonstrate the knowledge and skill needed to work as a medical escort. For example, medical escorts can earn a Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN) designation from the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing. The Air and Surface Transport Nurses Association offers guidance in earning certification and other issues surrounding medical escorts.
Experience is the Key
For medical escorts, the real key to success is both the education and certifications listed above, as well as a wealth of experience.
Typically, a medical escort requires at least three years of experience working in an intensive care unit or emergency room. In the case of Flying Angels, five years of experience are required.
Such experience is necessary to become a qualified, trusted medical escort. Nurses who work in acute care learn critical thinking skills, how to handle many patients, improve their triage skills and hone their ability to make good assessments and decisions in a fast-paced environment.
Becoming a medical escort is both a challenging and rewarding experience. It’s the perfect job for trained experts who want to use their professional talents to provide medical assistance and support for those who need it when traveling.
