After reading the October 2007 Viewpoint, "Should Patients 'Fly' on Your Unit?" I took the comparison of nursing units to air travel one step further. My husband is a flight crew member for the New York Air National Guard, and I am aware of the military's strict requirements for mandatory rest and flight safety. A 20-hour workday is allowed when a crew is called in to fly unscheduled, but the crew is then required to rest for 12 hours prior to and 12 hours after that mission. This includes during wartime. For training or a scheduled flight, the work period drops to 16 hours, and the 12-hour rest period before and after is still required.

The other interesting safety measure is crew respect. Crew members are expected to be honest and truthful about their physical and mental status. If they feel they are unsafe to fly-for any reason-the entire mission is scrapped. When unsafe conditions such as illness, sleepiness, or excessive stress are present, military and civilian lives are at risk.

We know what happens when a nurse says no.

Janice Sievert, BSN, RN

Wilson, NY

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