#AIR EVAC EDUCATION HOW TO#

I have always been a goal-oriented person who craves new challenges, and flying helicopters has afforded me the opportunity to push myself mentally and physically every day.вЂќДЄfter 13 years, four deployments overseas and 2,500 flight hours, Noble accepted the offer to be one of the Pilots at Air Evac Base 62.

#AIR EVAC EDUCATION HOW TO#

вЂњOnce a chance opened up to learn how to fly, I never looked back. вЂњI truly loved my job and the people I worked with, but, at the end of the day, flying above the sand instead of walking through it really appealed to me,вЂќ Noble said.

After moving up the ranks, Noble attended flight school. Ross Noble (вЂ™14) of Kendallville, Ind., started his career journey by joining the Indiana Army National Guard in 2001. I get the privilege of making a difference in someoneвЂ™s life,вЂќ added Tidwell. вЂњI get to meet people on the worst day of their lives, and itвЂ™s almost always something that I can help to make better. She says she loves helping people, and she does that daily with her job.

Tidwell currently works as a Flight Nurse at Air Evac Base 62 in Bowling Green and is also the Director of EMS Relations for the TriStar Hospital Division. I highly recommend the WKU program, because I have been a part of some of the simulation labs and trainings since I have left WKU, and they continue to impress me with their state-of-the-art capabilities for students.вЂќ вЂњWKU has support of local hospitals and resources that put you far ahead in the healthcare field,вЂќ stated Tidwell. She said her experience on the Hill prepared her and gave her first-hand experience for her career.

Tidwell graduated with a degree in Nursing from WKU. Pre-hospital is my passion, and I love to help people.вЂќ What I was able to do on scene to help save that patient led me to believe I needed to do more with my career. вЂњAt that time, I was an ER nurse, who just happened to be traveling with my family when the accident occurred. вЂњI witnessed and was the first responder to a terrible accident involving a motorcycle in Dallas, Texas,вЂќ noted Tidwell. With that being said, just knowing that I helped make a difference in someoneвЂ™s life in their time of need makes this career worthwhile.вЂќДЄshley Tidwell (вЂ™06) of Park City, Ky., first realized she wanted to do more with her Nursing career when she had to put her skills to the test outside of the hospital. You have to realize that you did all you could to help someone but, at the end of the day, everything happens for a reason. In this field, you have to learn to take the good with the bad. вЂњBut, unfortunately not all the experiences are positive. вЂњThe most rewarding part of being a Flight Nurse is being part of a team that helps provide care to save someoneвЂ™s life in a moment where time is of the essence,вЂќ added Hampton. After getting the required three to five years of ICU, ER or other critical-care-based hospital experience, Hampton applied and then accepted the position as a Flight Nurse with the Air Evac Lifeteam. Hampton and her husband Landon (вЂ™10) moved back to Bowling Green, where she worked as an ER Nurse at the Medical Center. I had always looked up to these care providers and knew that one day that is what I wanted to do.вЂќ

While working there, many flight crews would bring patients to our facility. I thrived in the fast-paced conditions and grew to love caring for those in need. вЂњI was quickly thrown to the wolves in this sink-or-swim environment, but through my formal education at WKU, I was well prepared upon entering the nursing world. вЂњUniversity of Louisville Hospital is one of the regionвЂ™s only level-one trauma-capable facilities,вЂќ explained Hampton. Base 62 is located right here in Bowling Green, Ky., where four WKU alumni work in various roles.ДЄndrea Hampton (вЂ™11) and Ashley Tidwell (вЂ™06): Taking nursing to greater heightsДЄfter graduating in 2011 from the Nursing program at WKU, Andrea Hampton (вЂ™11) moved back to her hometown of Louisville, Ky., to work as an Emergency Department Nurse at the University of Louisville Hospital. They transport critically ill or injured patients from hospitals or accident scenes to hospitals via helicopter. Each team is made up of a pilot, a nurse and a paramedic. Now, 33 years later, the Air Evac Lifeteam is the worldвЂ™s largest air ambulance service with more than 130 bases across 15 states. In 1985, a group of citizens in West Plains, Mo., established the Air Evac Lifeteam with the goal of providing air medical transportation to remote and rural areas of the Missouri Ozark region. At 1,500 feet in the sky, 4 WKU alumni are saving lives as part of the Air Evac Lifeteam

Air evac education