ASTNA JOINT POSITION STATEMENT WITH IAFCCP ON FITNESS FOR DUTY

NEWS FROM THE AIR & SURFACE TRANSPORT NURSES ASSOCIATION FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Aurora, Colorado (March 12, 2020). The Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association (ASTNA) announces the release of a joint position statement created with the International Association of Flight and Critical Care Paramedics (IAFCCP) regarding transport professionals’ fitness for duty.

Josh Wall, PhD, RN, CEN, CFRN, President of ASTNA, explains the importance of this partnership, “Collaborating with IAFCCP on this position statement helps to ensure consistency and relay the importance of reporting to work fit for duty, ensuring the health and safety of the transport professional and those around them.” ASTNA and IAFCCP recognize the significant importance of transport professionals reporting to work fit for duty and able to perform their roles safely and effectively; the responsibilities of transport professionals can impact even the healthiest of individuals. In this context, guidelines that address the broad spectrum of issues defined within fitness for duty ensure that team members’ physical, psychological, and emotional health contributes positively to safe and productive service. Fitness for duty is ongoing and begins even before hiring; therefore, clearly defined physical demands and environmental descriptions should be communicated as part of pre-employment discussion, reiterated in an offer letter, and specifically documented in program policies and procedures. Standards and guidelines should be consistent and/or complementary to those set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration, World Health Organization, and Centers for Disease Control, among others.

As emergency medical service professionals are at increased risk of injury or death while on the job, along with increased risk of off-the-job injury, as compared with private-sector averages, it is of utmost importance to educate and establish policies surrounding prevention or minimization of injury related to reasonably anticipated sources. Similarly, the establishment of fatigue risk assessments and symptom checklists in line with those published by the FAA, as well as scheduling guidelines, can mitigate fatigue-related concerns and risks. Stress management, coping strategies, and the promotion of resilience and a positive working environment minimize the impact of potentially stressful and/or traumatic events common to the transport environment.

In addition to overall physical health, program policies specifically related to drug, alcohol, and medication (both prescription and over-the-counter) use should be developed in accordance with the FAA and Department of Transportation’s guidelines. Inclusion of program policies and education related to diversion prevention and/or the misuse of controlled substances should be maintained, as well as specific procedures for pre-employment, post-incident, and periodic random drug/alcohol testing.

The development and clear communication of policies and programs that specifically address the physical, psychological, and emotional health and well-being of transport professionals is imperative to safe, productive, and effective service. Patricia Corbett, one of ASTNA’s team leaders on the project, describes the reason for developing this statement, “The Fitness for Duty Position Statement was developed by a focused group of industry leaders to establish guidelines for transport programs. Establishing a Fitness for Duty Program is one of the most important aspects of keeping nurses and paramedics safe and mitigating risk inherent to our transport teammates. It is a well written document that we are all very proud of.”

This statement addresses the following issues within the broad spectrum of fitness for duty: general health and physical assessment; physical, emotional and psychological well-being; injury and illness prevention; fatigue; working with acute and chronic conditions, and drug, alcohol, and medication use.

A copy of the position statement is free and can be found at https://www.astna.org/page/PositionPapers. For more information, please contact Nikole Good, ASTNA Executive Director, at ngood@astna.org.