Lander Nursing Students Get Up-Close Look at Medevac Helicopter

Lander University nursing students got an up-close look at flight nursing Friday morning when a medevac helicopter landed on campus, offering an opportunity to explore a specialized area of critical care nursing.

Ashley Pitts, associate professor of nursing, said faculty in the College of Nursing, Human Performance and Health Sciences work to expose students to a broad range of critical care experiences through classroom instruction and clinical training. However, flight nursing is an area that can't truly be covered in those settings. Pitts has made it a personal goal to introduce her classes to as many alternative forms of critical care nursing as possible, wanting students to see there are opportunities in nursing beyond traditional bedside care. 

Peyton Gentry, a senior nursing major, was one of the students welcoming the crew of Self Regional Healthcare's Med Trans One as they landed on the intramural field next to Dolny Hall. She was interested in speaking to the flight team to learn more about the demands and rewards of flight nursing, explaining that the experience adds more guidance when evaluating her future career.

"I can get a little insight,” Gentry said. "I can see what it's like, and I can figure out if I'm more interested in it because it sounds cool or it's actually something I'd like to do."