Ms Germaine Sandford
1Canterbury Air Retrieval Service. Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury/Health New Zealand, Christchurch, New Zealand
Abstract:
The request for the Inter-Hospital Transfer (IHT) of a patient with an Acute Mental Health Disturbance (AMHD) presents a complex clinical scenario, one which requires high quality pre-flight assessment and planning to minimise the risk that transfer may pose to both the patient and clinical crew.
The Canterbury Air Retrieval Service (CARS) experiences an ongoing demand for the transfer of the acutely unwell mental health patient. Two common scenarios for the service being the retrieval of patients off the Chatham Islands and transport of the adolescent patient to a specialist facility in the North Island. Such requests are often of a complex nature and require legal and ethical aspects to be considered alongside routine aeromedical mission co-ordination. Communication across disciplines such as critical care, mental health, hospital legal, pilots, and road ambulance is vital to a successful mission.
This presentation will discuss the development of a procedure for the IHT of the Mental Health patient by the Canterbury Air Retrieval Service. It will describe the types of transports undertaken and how these were formalised within the wider team of health and aeromedical professionals leading to a shared understanding of safe and appropriate process in the transfer of this patient group. It will also touch on the legal, ethical, and cultural considerations within the New Zealand context.
Biographies:
Germaine is a Registered Nurse of 30 years, with 20 of these spent in Critical Care and Aeromedical environments. She has held Flight nursing roles with Pacific Air Ambulance (formerly part of the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust) undertaking national, pacific, and international retrievals and the Canterbury Air Retrieval Service (CARS). Germaine is a former chairperson of the New Zealand College of Air and Surface Transport Nurses, (COASTN) and currently sits on the New Zealand Aeromedical Commissioning Programme -Clinical and Technical Advisory Group.
Germaine has a particular interest in education and promotion of team work within the Aeromedical sector to produce best patient outcome.