theWildernessRN

If it's not too late, send me a message and we can chat. Also, check out the Wilderness Nursing Group on FB. I started this group in 2009 and it has become a small, but great community. You will find nurses with experience in all types of nursing that fall under the broad umbrella of wilderness medicine/nursing. We have members involved in the disaster, humanitarian, expedition, mountain rescue, and WSAR arenas. To name a few. Good luck and congratulations on nearing the end and approaching the beginning!

I am a flight nurse for a hospital based, rotary wing, critical care transport program. One of the major perks of flight/transport nursing is that you are in charge of your downtime. We are expected to round on our patients and provide follow up to the requesting provider or service. The ICU and ED are great places to learn. We round a few times each shift to offer our skills or provide education to the newbies. We like to be available when the departments are "blowing up." This way the CNLs, charge nurses, and RRTs will call us for the fun stuff. On days when the residents aren't there we try to pick up on opportunities for airway management, central line placement, thoracostomy, ultrasound, and other procedures and skills. I will do anything to stay out of the OR! Our team is responsible for all facets of our operations, so we are all involved in some capacity. Many of us are involved in education, marketing, outreach, safety, performance improvement, research, and the like. Some of us are also involved in hospital, system, regional, and national level activities. Most of us are driven and want to produce, but like everywhere else there are degrees of participation. A very simple concept is to have something to show for your time and you will be left alone. Many of us have advanced degrees or are pursuing them. MSEd, MSN (CRNA/ACNP/CNS/Edu), and MBA are the most popular. I know several people that have put themselves through school in their downtime. Again, produce for the program and the rest of the time is yours! The training, scope of practice, and responsibility are truly amazing. The professional opportunities are near endless. In no other area of our profession have I had the time and latitude to create and carve out my own path.

If you are an experienced critical care/emergency RN and looking for a bridge program, Creighton's RN to Paramedic is considered the standard by most. Are there others? Yes. Have you heard of them? Probably not. The point is that Creighton has been doing this for awhile and is a known entity nationwide. It is based on the premise that you are experienced and have a solid foundation in A&P, pathophysiology, and pharmacology. To say it is a 2 week program is misleading. The program starts with reading assignments and several pre-course exams. The 2 week on-site session consists of airway management on some mornings, daily didactic and practical sessions, daily ride time after class, and full shifts with Omaha Fire on the weekends. This makes for very long days. Most people will complete ~ 50% of their ride time while in NE. Which means you will need to finish when you get home. I highly suggest having this lined up before you head out to Omaha. This way you will complete your internship and take your exams while the information is still fresh. Depending on your schedule, expect it to take roughly 6 months to complete the whole process. I know some that did it more quickly and others that never finished. The overarching goal is to gain a beginning sense of how to operationalize your existing knowledge and experience in the pre-hospital environment. Is it perfect? No. Will you be an experienced paramedic when you finish? Obviously not. You will have a foundation to build upon. The faculty are top-notch, highly experienced pre-hospital providers and educators. The VAST majority of students are headed toward flight nursing or are already there and want to broaden their base or need to meet state requirements. As such, you will likely find an intelligent and driven group of people. This only adds to the experience.