Air Care flight nurse logs 1,000 flights
By Dolly A. Butz Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, January 05, 2007
When Jim Nolen took his first orientation flight on a foggy morning 16 years ago with Mercy Air Care, it reaffirmed that being a flight nurse was his calling.
At the age of 8, Nolen lost his 4-year-old brother in a car accident. That tragedy sparked his dream of pursuing a career in health care.
"I knew then I was going to get into health care to help because then I was too young to help," he said. "It has always been my dream to be a flight nurse ever since."
Although Nolen, who recently logged 1,000 patient transport flights, will soon leave the skies for a nursing position on the ground in the hospital's emergency department, he said his passion for flying and helping others is still strong.
"I think it's the best," he said. "You are seeing the worst of the worst patients. Everyday you are out there making a difference."
Growing up in Sioux City, Nolen said he looked up to his uncle Jeff Berens. Berens, director of Mercy Medical Center's emergency department, established the flight program at Mercy in 1987.
"I just kind of followed in his footsteps on something that was very interesting and dear to my heart," Nolen said.
Upon graduation from high school, Nolen went on to nursing school. After completing his schooling he was hired by Mercy in 1989 as a nursing assistant. Then Nolen became a licensed registered nurse and worked in the ER at Mercy. Three years later he applied for a flight nursing position and was hired one month shy of completing his required three-year term in the ER.
Nolen is one of eight full-time nurses on Mercy's regional air ambulance service. The crew is also composed of 13 paramedics and four pilots.
Nolen said every day on the job with Mercy Air Care has been a new experience. Since every patient, condition and situation is different, he said he mentally prepares himself for every possible scenario that could be thrown at him.
When a flight request comes in, the flight crew receives brief information about the patient and their medical condition. They may attend to patients involved in motor vehicle, farm and work site accidents, as well as victims of poisonings, burns, electrical shock and gunshot wounds. Noncardiac medical emergencies treated aboard the helicopter include stroke, respiratory distress, gastrointestinal bleeding and abdominal aortic aneurysms.
According to Mercy's flight records, approximately 40 percent of the patients receiving care in 2006 were trauma victims requiring advanced treatment at the regional trauma center at Mercy. About 40 percent of the helicopter's flights were for serious, noncardiac medical emergencies, while 20 percent were cardiac related.
"We call it fly by the seat of your pants nursing because that's what you do," Nolen said. "You prepare for everything until you get to the patient and you make your decisions there."
The patient might be on a highway, a football field or in a cornfield. Wherever they are, Nolen said the helicopter always lands. The goal is to get a medical crew out to the scene and get the patient treatment as quickly as possible. Nolen said their No. 1 concern is safety.
"The scene flights are where you have to be the calmest and the safest because of the adrenaline and the excitement," he said. "Usually for car accidents you've got all kinds of fire departments and ambulances there--you've got to maintain that composure."
Making an impression
When he began his career, Nolen said he thought he would remember all of his patients. Looking back, he admits he doesn't remember every flight or every patient, but he said some stories will stick with him.
Nolen remembers the man who was badly burned during an explosion at AGP. He remembers the kid in Hinton, Iowa, who was injured in a tractor accident a week before he was supposed to meet the president. He remembers the asthmatic patient he flew to Des Moines on Mercy Air Care's record-breaking 508th patient transport flight of 2006.
Nolen said he tries to focus on the good and not the bad. He knows success can't always be measured in saving a life, but knowing he did everything he could.
"You try and have the best outcome for the patient and for the family, whether it's to spend the last few moments of life with that patient or they get a full recovery and the patient goes on to do whatever for the rest of their life."
Nolen said one of the most rewarding things about his job is seeing a patient return. Often times, he said he usually doesn't get to see them after the emergency phase.
"I've had three patients come back months later," he said. "One kid, just to prove to me that he could walk from the wheelchair to the helicopter. I was in tears because this is a kid I never thought would walk again and here he is proving that he can do it."
Changing course
Nolen said there wasn't a single bad experience or one key factor that influenced his decision to transfer to the ER. He said he's been flying for 16 years and maybe it's time for someone else to get the chance.
"The passion is still there," he said. "The opportunity was there and I took a chance. You can't fly forever either."
The switch to the ER, Nolen said, will also take some pressure off of his wife and three sons, ages 12, 14 and 16.
"Fortunately I've been lucky," he said. "I've had no incidents on the helicopter. I told my family I'm getting off the helicopter and going to part-time status. They were pretty relieved because they don't have to worry every day."
Before leaving for his flight shift, Nolen said he routinely wrote letters to his children.
"I'd write a little note and tell them I love them," he said. "You just never know. Life is too short. You don't take life for granted around here."
Nolen will work his last full-time flight shift this weekend. He will continue to work one flight shift every two weeks and fill in when necessary. Even though he won't be in the air every day, Nolen said his job will be very much the same. Only this time he will be on the ground waiting for his patients.
"I get to do what I love to do--take care of people in their time of need," he said.
Dolly Butz may be contacted at (712) 293-4275 or dollybutz@siouxcityjournal.com.
At the age of 8, Nolen lost his 4-year-old brother in a car accident. That tragedy sparked his dream of pursuing a career in health care.
"I knew then I was going to get into health care to help because then I was too young to help," he said. "It has always been my dream to be a flight nurse ever since."
Although Nolen, who recently logged 1,000 patient transport flights, will soon leave the skies for a nursing position on the ground in the hospital's emergency department, he said his passion for flying and helping others is still strong.
"I think it's the best," he said. "You are seeing the worst of the worst patients. Everyday you are out there making a difference."
Growing up in Sioux City, Nolen said he looked up to his uncle Jeff Berens. Berens, director of Mercy Medical Center's emergency department, established the flight program at Mercy in 1987.
"I just kind of followed in his footsteps on something that was very interesting and dear to my heart," Nolen said.
Upon graduation from high school, Nolen went on to nursing school. After completing his schooling he was hired by Mercy in 1989 as a nursing assistant. Then Nolen became a licensed registered nurse and worked in the ER at Mercy. Three years later he applied for a flight nursing position and was hired one month shy of completing his required three-year term in the ER.
Nolen is one of eight full-time nurses on Mercy's regional air ambulance service. The crew is also composed of 13 paramedics and four pilots.
Nolen said every day on the job with Mercy Air Care has been a new experience. Since every patient, condition and situation is different, he said he mentally prepares himself for every possible scenario that could be thrown at him.
When a flight request comes in, the flight crew receives brief information about the patient and their medical condition. They may attend to patients involved in motor vehicle, farm and work site accidents, as well as victims of poisonings, burns, electrical shock and gunshot wounds. Noncardiac medical emergencies treated aboard the helicopter include stroke, respiratory distress, gastrointestinal bleeding and abdominal aortic aneurysms.
According to Mercy's flight records, approximately 40 percent of the patients receiving care in 2006 were trauma victims requiring advanced treatment at the regional trauma center at Mercy. About 40 percent of the helicopter's flights were for serious, noncardiac medical emergencies, while 20 percent were cardiac related.
"We call it fly by the seat of your pants nursing because that's what you do," Nolen said. "You prepare for everything until you get to the patient and you make your decisions there."
The patient might be on a highway, a football field or in a cornfield. Wherever they are, Nolen said the helicopter always lands. The goal is to get a medical crew out to the scene and get the patient treatment as quickly as possible. Nolen said their No. 1 concern is safety.
"The scene flights are where you have to be the calmest and the safest because of the adrenaline and the excitement," he said. "Usually for car accidents you've got all kinds of fire departments and ambulances there--you've got to maintain that composure."
Making an impression
When he began his career, Nolen said he thought he would remember all of his patients. Looking back, he admits he doesn't remember every flight or every patient, but he said some stories will stick with him.
Nolen remembers the man who was badly burned during an explosion at AGP. He remembers the kid in Hinton, Iowa, who was injured in a tractor accident a week before he was supposed to meet the president. He remembers the asthmatic patient he flew to Des Moines on Mercy Air Care's record-breaking 508th patient transport flight of 2006.
Nolen said he tries to focus on the good and not the bad. He knows success can't always be measured in saving a life, but knowing he did everything he could.
"You try and have the best outcome for the patient and for the family, whether it's to spend the last few moments of life with that patient or they get a full recovery and the patient goes on to do whatever for the rest of their life."
Nolen said one of the most rewarding things about his job is seeing a patient return. Often times, he said he usually doesn't get to see them after the emergency phase.
"I've had three patients come back months later," he said. "One kid, just to prove to me that he could walk from the wheelchair to the helicopter. I was in tears because this is a kid I never thought would walk again and here he is proving that he can do it."
Changing course
Nolen said there wasn't a single bad experience or one key factor that influenced his decision to transfer to the ER. He said he's been flying for 16 years and maybe it's time for someone else to get the chance.
"The passion is still there," he said. "The opportunity was there and I took a chance. You can't fly forever either."
The switch to the ER, Nolen said, will also take some pressure off of his wife and three sons, ages 12, 14 and 16.
"Fortunately I've been lucky," he said. "I've had no incidents on the helicopter. I told my family I'm getting off the helicopter and going to part-time status. They were pretty relieved because they don't have to worry every day."
Before leaving for his flight shift, Nolen said he routinely wrote letters to his children.
"I'd write a little note and tell them I love them," he said. "You just never know. Life is too short. You don't take life for granted around here."
Nolen will work his last full-time flight shift this weekend. He will continue to work one flight shift every two weeks and fill in when necessary. Even though he won't be in the air every day, Nolen said his job will be very much the same. Only this time he will be on the ground waiting for his patients.
"I get to do what I love to do--take care of people in their time of need," he said.
Dolly Butz may be contacted at (712) 293-4275 or dollybutz@siouxcityjournal.com.
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