Winter 2025 Newsletter


26th June 2025
Winter Newsletter 2025

Welcome to your Winter FNA Newsletter

President Hayden's Yarn

Dear Members,

 

As winter settles in, I want to take a moment to reflect on the exciting progress we’ve made this year and share a few important updates with you all.

Firstly, what a fantastic webinar series we’ve had so far in 2025! From clinical research insights and the important topic of mental health to haemorrhage management inflight, the sessions have been packed with knowledge and inspiration. A huge thank you to our Education Lead, Bree Spring, and all our presenters who have generously shared their time and expertise. Stay tuned for next month's announcement shortly.

Looking ahead, we’re thrilled that planning for Aeromed 2025 in Tasmania is well underway. The line-up of keynote speakers is nothing short of incredible, and it’s shaping up to be an unmissable event. We strongly encourage as many FNA members as possible to join us, there’s nothing quite like connecting in person with our vibrant community. We’re especially excited to be holding our Annual General Meeting (AGM) in person this year during the conference, marking our first face-to-face AGM since the Brisbane conference. We hope to see you there.

As the End of Financial Year approaches, it’s also a timely reminder that membership renewals are just around the corner. Renewing now is a great way to stay connected, continue accessing our member benefits, and support the important work of the Association.

Don’t forget the Kaye Melmeth Professional Development Grant closes on June 30th! This is a reminder to submit your application for funding to support conference attendance or other development opportunities. It’s a fantastic initiative that helps us grow professionally and deliver even better care in our roles. 

A heartfelt shout out to our amazing committee members—your hard work and dedication behind the scenes are what keeps Flight Nurses Australia going strong. Thank you for all that you do.

And of course, to you, our valued members, thank you for your continued support. FNA is a volunteer run organisation, and we exist for you and because of you.

If you have any new ideas, thoughts, or feedback on how we can serve you better and advance the profession, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Stay warm out there, take care of each other, and of course happy flying!

 

Warm regards,
Hayden Wilson NP, RM
President, Flight Nurses Australia

 

 

 
From the Editor - Jacinta Jones
 
Hello [[firstname]], 
 
I hope everyone is keeping warm in this cooler weather. For us in Queensland, it is a comparatively mild winter compared to some other member locations and means smoother flying conditions but with the strong winter winds at altitude. This equals a slower journey westward but faster journey eastward with the strong tailwinds. Headwinds is not something of concern in a hospital setting but becomes important for us in the aeromedical environment when calculating oxygen requirements for a high flow patient or fluid requirements for a burns patients. But that is why we fly!! Nursing in an aircraft is an adventure with the added logistics and aviation considerations coupled with critical care nursing and midwifery in the air.
In this newsletter I would like to share some thoughts on the concept of Leadership & Followership and how in our environment every team member must have the ability and readiness to step into both a leader and a follower role to ensure our aeromedical team is effective and safe. As the situation in aeromedical retrievals can change quickly, it is important for our team, made up of differing disciplines, to seamlessly switch between leadership roles and members readily accept and operate in a followership role as required. This is fairly obvious with our pilots leading the aviation and logistics components and flight nurses and medical officers leading the clinical components. However, this switching of roles is not just dependent on the discipline of the team member but also the experience level.
 
There is a safety concept, or rather a risk concept, known as 'Green on Green' in aviation safety that is not related to sustainability, although another important topic. Green on Green for us means a new aeromedical pilot working with a new flight nurse and as long as there are clear and accessible support and escalation methods with line managers we can continue to operate safely. In the instance of a new pilot working with an experienced flight nurse, the flight nurse may take the leadership role in organising the logistics of a primary response, ground lift and loading etc. If the reverse was true, an experienced aeromedical pilot working with a new flight nurse, the pilot will lead the team (obviously following a comprehensive orientation and onboarding so the staff have the required skills to apply, just not the experience of applying these skills as yet).
 
Being an effective leader is a skill but so is being an effective follower - both are equally as important.
In the military this can literally mean life and death, and the same could be said for aviation and medicine.
An ineffective team is dangerous in all environments. 
Some food for thought.
   
   
Simon Sinek - The best leaders are the best followers
   

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4Waz_DAf7E

 

   

https://www.ausa.org/articles/lessons-followership-good-leaders-arent-always-out-front

 

Text taken from Internet Source of Article https://www.ausa.org/articles/lessons-followership-good-leaders-arent-always-out-front

   
   

The Value of Consumer Feedback

- to the Clinician and the Consumer

I recently had the rather unfortunate opportunity to experience healthcare from the consumer side with a close family member requiring emergency cardiothoracic surgery and intensive care.

From this experience, I gained an insight into the value of feedback for our consumers that I had not previously considered.  As clinicians we are very familiar with the concept of patient feedback and how it is used to improve services and practices. The NSQHS standards require healthcare organisations to actively seek feedback from consumers and as professionals we receive and utilise this feedback constructively to further develop and reflect on our practice.

My recent experience on the consumer side has taught me that feedback not only benefits our clinicians and future patients but also our patients who provide the feedback. The outcome of my recent consumer experience was very positive and as part of our healing from the traumatic experience we actively thanked those that literally saved the life of our family member.  We should recognise, as professional clinicians, that the feedback we receive from our patients, both negative and positive, can be part of their continued healing from their often traumatic health experience, so even after discharge we continue to care for our patients by acknowledging and responding to the feedback providing benefits to all involved.

   
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

FNA Member Profile
 
Meet Audrey Taula
Manolos Nurses Papua New Guinea
 

Hi My name is Audrey Taula

A flight nurse for Manolos Aviation Ltd and now it’s called MAMA FOUNDATION which stands for Mountain Area Medical Airlift.

I joined the Foundation in January 2020 as a general registered nurse.

I graduated from Lae Nursing School in 2004. I have worked as a general registered nurse for twenty (20) years.

I love my job as a flight nurse, reaching out to the remote, rural where no road links in my country Papua New Guinea.

As we are a developing country, we are not to the same level of high quality healthcare in terms of technology and medical flight equipments but I have compassion, empathy, love to care for my patients onsite at arrival, in flights during flights.

With the little we have, and giving my best nursing care wholeheartedly to see my patients, giving them hope is a job satisfaction for me.

I am now forty three (43) years old and I still want to do more in nursing the neediest.

Yours In Health,

Audrey. Taula 

 
 
 
 
 
Text and images taken from MAMA website with permission and thanks
 
Audrey is attending the Aeromedical Conference in Hobart this year and is incredibly appreciative of any support our members can provide.
 
Read about the amazing work Audrey and her team have done below!!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Refer A Flight Nurse for FNA Membership

Have a Friend or Colleague who is not yet a FNA Member?

Please forward this newsletter to them and let us know

If they join, you will both receive 10% off your membership fee**.

admin@flightnursesaustralia.com.au

**Conditions apply**

 

 

 
Please - Share Your Shots
 
Photo supplied by Hayden Wilson
 
The FNA committee are excited to continue our photo competition with grand prizes to be announced.
Your aircraft, view from your aircraft 'office' window, your team or flight nurse training are just some ideas!
Please email your photos to be added to the FNA website gallery. 
 
Photo supplied by Jacinta Jones
 
Thank you Lauren Bugler (RFDS QLD Flight Nurse/Midwife/Nurse Educator) for your submission below
 
 
Neonatal Training Bundaberg 
Flight Nurses Yvette, Sabrina, Robyn
 
 
 

Education

 

Did you miss or wish to rewatch our FNA June Education on Major haemorrhage In Flight?

You will find it soon on Member Jungle!

 

Thank you Bree Spring for organising our great FNA education sessions.

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Thank you to the RFDS QLD Clinical Education Team (Flight Nurses/Midwives) for providing the education slides.

Bianca Stewart, Pat Maxwell, Kirsten Godby, Lauren Bugler, Eliza Henderson

 
                                        
                                                        

Hi Flight Nurses team,

I’m reaching out from the Public Relations team at the Australian Taxation Office to share some resources to help nurses and midwives this tax time.

I’ve included 4 short articles below with links to our nurse and midwife occupation guide.

We are also happy to assist if you require information in a different format or on another topic.

Kind regards,

Emily


Tailored tips for your industry   

Need a hand with your deductions this tax time? 

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has a suite of tailored guides for (*almost) every occupation. 

Use them to learn which: 

• deductions you can claim 

• income you must declare 

• records you need to keep. 

Visit www.ato.gov.au/nurse


Records, records, records 

Planning to claim work-related expenses this year?  

Remember, to claim a deduction for any work expense: 

• you must have spent the money yourself and you weren’t reimbursed 

• the expense must directly relate to earning your income, and 

• you must have records.  

In most cases, your records need to include written evidence from a supplier – like a receipt – that shows the cost, name of the supplier, date it was purchased, nature of the expense, and date the document was produced. You may also need other specific records, for example, a logbook for car expenses.  

A bank or credit card statement (on its own) usually isn’t enough evidence to support your claim. 

The myDeductions tool in the ATO app is the perfect way to keep track of all your receipts and records in one place. It’s easy to use, check out this video on the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) Instagram account.  

For more information on keeping the right records for tax time, visit ato.gov.au/keepingrecords 


Deductible donations 

Did you support your favourite charity this year? Consider the following points to see if you may be able to claim it in your tax return:

• Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status: You can only claim a tax deduction for a gift or donation to an organisation that has the status of a DGR. You can check here

• Type of gift or donation: It must be money, property, or financial assets such as shares. 

• A true gift or donation: You can only claim a gift or donation if you voluntarily transferred money or property without receiving, or expecting to receive, any material benefit or advantage in return. 

• Check the conditions: Your donation must comply with any relevant gift conditions. For some DGRs, the income tax law adds conditions affecting the types of deductible gifts they can receive.

• Records: To claim a deduction, you must have a¿record of your donation, such as a receipt. 

If you meet all of the conditions above, you can claim a deduction. Visit ato.gov.au/giftsdonations  


Strengthen your cybersecurity habits to stay safe this tax time  

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has reported more than a 300% increase in email impersonation scams in the last year.  

ATO impersonation scams are generally at their peak at tax time. Scammers know Australians are focused on lodging their tax return, updating their personal information and may be anticipating refunds.  

There are things you can do to protect yourself: 

• Download the ATO app to securely, quickly, and easily manage your tax and super on the go. 

• Always access ATO online services directly via ato.gov.au, my.gov.au or the ATO app. Do not click on links or attachments. 

• Use myID and set to the highest identity strength you can achieve. It’s the most secure and flexible way to access ATO online services. 

Follow these 3 steps to protect yourself from scams this tax time: 

1.     Stop: Never share your myGov sign in details.

Only share personal information if you trust the person and they genuinely require it. If in doubt, don’t disclose anything. 

2.    Check: Take a second to check. Ask yourself if it could be fake.

Is it really the ATO? If a link or QR code is directing you to provide information or to log into an online portal, don’t click on it. 

3.    Protect: Act quickly.

If an interaction doesn’t feel right, don't engage with it. Visit the ATO website or phone the ATO on 1800 008 540 to check. 

 Find out more at ato.gov.au/scamsafe

Conferences, Courses and Events  

 

 

May be an image of text that says 'Join US for #COASTN2025 Ötepoti, Dunedin 16-17 Oct Scan for details CALL FOR ABSTRACTS -Synergy in Motion- Working together for patient excellence COASTN Providing Excellence Transport lursing NZNO NEWZLALAND NURSES NURSES Closing Closingdate31st. date 31st July TOPÜTANGA TAPUHI'

 
 
 
 

 

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Flight Nurses Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community.

We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples today.

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