Matrix: read the paper at work the other day... it has certainly caused a few waves. Basically it says that they want two retrieval teams working out of the airport with three permanent ambulances stationed with the choppers. A third retrival team would be hospital based. They are talking about having retrieval nurses undertake ambulance driving courses, and having nurses train ambos in aspects of retrival nursing. Apparently nurses are over-represented in retrievals.
As it currently stands, There is a team based in FMC and each shift there are three retrieval teams based in the RAH. If a retrieval is called, the chopped either flies to the RAH or FMC and picks up a crew, or an ambulance picks up a crew, depending on whether they want a road or air retrieval.
You ask why a nurse is present for retrievals. I think a lot of people underestimate just how much training a retrieval nurse goes through. After at least two full years experience as a registered nurse (three years at uni) in an ICU, they must do a post-grad diploma (another 2-3 years) in Critical Care, then they must pick up retrieval nursing (another couple of years at uni) or be doing the course before they can go out. They are trained in pre-hospital care and all facets of retrieval work. We no longer live in the dark ages where a nurse is subserviant to a doctor and only wipes bums and gives out pills. Nurses have protocols to follow and can make certain decisions, just like ICPs.
The reason a doctor is on a retrieval is because they are Intensive Care doctors. They are fully trained in keeping the sickest people alive. These people go to university for a great many years and then do time in hospitals looking at different facets of medicine and surgery, then they go and study to work in intensive care and have to work their way through the ranks there before they can work on retrievals.
As much as SOTs and ICPs have their place in a retrieval, they certainly wouldn't be jumping on an international flight to retrieve some poor filtered like the Bali Bombings or Jose Ramos Hortas when he got shot. Retrievals are also done through RFDS, and they happen every day for any number of reasons. Quite often all three retrieval teams are out at the RAH. I honestly don't think that the ambos could do it without the nurses, due to the fact that there are about 50 retrieval nurses in this state who work side-by-side with ambos. There is currently a shortage of ambos (and yes, there is a shortage of nurses, but not retrieval nurses) and if the nurses stopped going, it would pull ambos from other areas where they are already in short supply. We need our ambos out in the field for the calls made by the public. They do a great job, and I know that a lot of nurses certainly wouldn't want to be ambos and do their job. I know that 99% of the retrieval nurses I spoke with the other day with the discussion paper certainly don't want to learn to drive an ambulance...
Just my two cents worth... hope it answers some questions about how retrievals work...
