RE: Looking Deeper

["Nancy Hunter" <omgwafn@worldnet.att.net>]

You pose very interesting questions and I think a lot of us would have to
think before answering...I believe most, if not all, of us would fit into
the "Adrenaline Junkie" category. For me, it is a specialty like no other
for the simple reason  that our work environment is in the back of an
aircraft. Putting "Flight" in front of RN or EMT-P (or other members of
medical flight crews) means that we are much more than caregivers to a
patient. We become an intricate part of the Flight/Safety Team. It is part
of our responsibility to be familiar with the A/C, emergency procedures,
safety training (for ground crews and others). Our priority is assisting our
pilot in getting us to and from our destinations safely as well as providing
our patient with the highest level of care (which includes our knowledge of
altitude physiology). So, I guess you can call it just a different type of
multi-tasking.

You may want to check out a book written by a former Flight Nurse and it is
about how and why she got started (and all the lessons learned along the
way). It may give you some additional insight... "Trauma Junkies" by Janice
Hudson. You can order it through Amazon.com....

-----Original Message-----
From: flightmed-admin@flightweb.com
[mailto:flightmed-admin@flightweb.com]On Behalf Of Michael Stevenson
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2001 1:21 AM
To: flightmed@flightweb.com
Subject: Looking Deeper


Hello All!
I want to post a lengthy (Forgive me but I can't summarize well) question to
the group that I am wrestling with myself at the moment.  Here is the long
and short of it:  The whole reason I went to nursing school was to become a
flight nurse.  Now I want to know WHY. (Which I am posting to the group)
Why FLIGHT nursing?  Is it the fact that I think it would be neat to fly
around in a helicopter?  Do I want the "status" of being a flight nurse?  Do
I want to be able to tell interesting stories to my friends? Do I want the
"rush" of a trauma code?  I know several people might reply to this and say
that they want to save lives.  Well ok, are we not saving lives in the ER,
or in the ICU or in the back of a rig as medics?  Why FLIGHT?  What is the
specific attraction of being in a chopper? I pose this question not
questioning flight nursing or its legitimacy as a whole...I am just
questioning the TRUE motivations of those that do it and those like myself
who want to do it once they can identify an S3 gallop or be able to
distinguish rales from rhonchi, amongst other things! I am asking the group
to take a minute, do some serious contemplation and give me THE REAL REASONS
WHY you are on a chopper and not in the back of an ambulance or in the
hospital. (Because I know "it ain't for the money!")   Please don't get
defensive or think I am being harsh.  I'm just a curious new nurse.
Mike

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