COLORADO SPRINGS — When a baby faces a serious injury or illness, every minute counts. That’s where pediatric flight nurses step in. These specially trained nurses are called to rural and urban areas across Colorado and nearby states to transport babies to a hospital by helicopter.
Being a pediatric flight nurse offers healthcare providers the chance to soar to new heights, but it’s not an easy ride.
“It is definitely a very difficult job,” said Nurse Kwang Soo 'Sam' Hong. “The reason why I keep coming back is for those families, the trust that they have in us. We do meet them, sometimes, at their lowest point and we want to bring that calmness and give them the assurance that their kids will be taken care of.”
Hong has spent six years as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse at Children’s Hospital Colorado. At the beginning of 2024, he joined the ranks of 12 flight team members dedicated to delivering life-saving care to the region’s tiniest patients.
“We are a mini-mobile ICU,” he said. “In the sky and on the ground, but also, we’re moving everywhere, so we want to get them to a place where they are safe and sound and make sure they get the best care in the world.”
Pediatric flight nurses provide crucial care during high-stakes emergencies. Kelsie Border, a former flight nurse and now NICU associate clinical manager at Children’s Hospital Colorado, emphasizes that it’s a role where “the best of the best” are chosen.
“You have to have five years of ICU experience before you can move into that position,” Border said. “So, it requires a certain level of expertise to even apply for the position. You’re learning a lot of skills and practicing at a very high level as a nurse.”
While there are emergency flight services for people of all ages, Border points out that pediatric flight nurses are essential for treating children because of their specific developmental stages.
“Anatomically, there are many differences between an adult and a child,” she said. “We think about their airways, very anterior. Their veins are as small as angel hair pasta.”
Research from the National Pediatric Readiness Project shows that ill children treated by pediatric specialists have a 76% lower mortality rate, while injured children see a 60% lower mortality rate compared to those cared for by general healthcare providers. Hundreds of U.S. children's lives could be saved every year if hospital emergency departments had higher pediatric readiness, according to JAMA Network.
“There’s very big differences between a child and a 36-year-old,” Border said. “So, having pediatric nurses and pediatric sub-specialties that are trained to treat them, including our flight team, is very important.”
The 12-member flight nurse group consists of three teams, one based in Colorado Springs and two in Denver, Hong said. They travel across Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Kansas, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Nevada, providing care to infants and young children.
“The impact that we have is vast,” Hong said. “Some of those communities just don't have the right resources to take care of the kids. Not that they’re not doing a nice job, it just comes down to resources.”
Both nurses agree that the vital role they have in the lives of children and families keeps them on cloud nine.
“To be able to be there for a child, there’s nothing like it. And to be able to support the family through some of the most difficult times of their life, but also bring joy and smiles to the patients - it’s the best job in the world,” Border said.
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