They are extraordinary people serving extraordinary roles. These individuals deal with lives in sky and on the ground. They are the flight attendant nurses: Fearless frontliners on air and on land. We are happy to pay tribute to our flight attendants who wear two caps.
Not all nursing graduates and registered nurses however do not go to the hospital. Some take the leap to become flight attendants. There are actually a lot of flight attendant nurses in the airlines. In fact, the original flight attendants in the 1930s were registered nurses. Today, airlines accept a lot of nurses into the roster due to their expertise when it comes to responding to medical emergencies on board. Besides, both flight attendants and nurses belong to the hospitality industry.
We now put the spotlight on two AirAsia Allstar flight attendant nurses, Frances Nicole Esmilla and Reichelle Esguerra.
Frances Nicole Esmilla
Before becoming a flight attendant, Frances Nicole Esmilla started her career as an Occupational and Telemedicine Nurse for a network of multi-specialty medical clinics. Later on, she became a Patient Experience Officer of a well-known hospital in Taguig for four years. Part of her daily work routine was to ensure that patients have a smooth experience during their stay in the hospital, either for check up or medical procedures.
Although her job was fulfilling, Nicole realized that it was time to pursue her dream to be a flight attendant. She also had big dreams for her family. Realizing that she could make this reality come true and enjoy traveling at the same time, Nicole shifted career to pursue her dream of becoming a flight attendant. That dream came true in July 2018 as Nicole finally earned her wings as an AirAsia flight attendant.
For Nicole, the only difference between being a cabin crew and a nurse is that she performs her duties 33,000 feet above sea level. Part of the duty of a cabin crew is to ensure the safety of the passengers and prevent or assist with any medical situations. Anything may happen on board, even the most unexpected medical situations. Being a registered nurse makes Nicole one of the most capable people inflight.
On one instance aboard a flight to Incheon, Nicole recalled an incident where a passenger approached her for help. “The Korean passenger was very pale and he looked like he was going to pass out at any time. I let him lay on the floor with my trolley bag under his legs and monitored him until he felt better. He was very thankful for the immediate assistance that I gave him. It makes my job more fulfilling”, Nicole said.
Reichelle “Reich” Esguerra
Reich Esguerra worked as a full-time nurse in a big-named hospital for two years. She claims being a nurse was beyond just being her passion because taking care of a patient’s well being brings her great joy and fulfillment. Reich admits to sometimes being tired and exhausted at the end of her shift. However, the smiles from the patients whom she had already made friends with became an invaluable reward for a day’s work.
Reich later on decided to pursue a goal to become a flight attendant. With hard work and determination, she finally became an AirAsia Allstar flight attendant. Reich considers her shift from the four corners of the hospital to the cabin a part of God’s plan.
No matter what though, Reich was able to apply her skills and knowledge as a nurse on a real medical emergency on board. “There was this one experience during an international flight where a passenger was complaining about having difficulty in breathing and blurred vision,” Reich shared.
“While all cabin crew are well trained in first aid and handling medical issues inflight, knowing that I was also a registered nurse on that flight, my colleagues immediately turned to me for first aid. I calmly assessed the passengers’ condition and attended to her needs until we reached Manila. For a minute, it felt like I was still doing my rounds in the hospital because of how much the passenger thanked me”, she said.
Challenging times for both Nicole and Reich
Despite being nurses who share their knowledge in order to stay safe from the Covid-19, both Nicole and Reich have lost loved ones to the virus. Nicole lost her father while Reich lost her sister. “During the pandemic my father passed away and I felt so bad that I wasn’t able to take care of him because of the lockdown. The pain of losing someone you love especially during this difficult time made me decide to give back to those who are in need of medical help,” shared Nicole.
Reich then shared, “covid-19 took away my sister. I am now channeling my energy in a positive way and have decided to become a medical support volunteer. I hope I’ll be able to live the legacy of my sister through caring for others.”
These are what flight attendant nurses are fearless frontliners serving both on the sky and on the ground. Their selflessness have made them one of our modern day heroes especially during this pandemic. We salute all our nurses, both in the sky and on the ground. Your dedication in saving lives are far beyond comparison. Happy International Nurses Day!
And to all flight attendant nurses, thank you for being our frontliners both on the ground and in the air.
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