GW Nursing Magazine Fall 2017
GW Nursing is a publication of the George Washington University School of Nursing. The magazine tells the story of GW nurses and their endeavors in the areas of education, research, policy and practice.
GW Nursing is a publication of the George Washington University School of Nursing. The magazine tells the story of GW nurses and their endeavors in the areas of education, research, policy and practice.
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hands-on experiences with penetrating or blunt trauma and with<br />
surgical transfers. Following the trauma bay, we were trained by a<br />
paramedic for six weeks and then by a nurse preceptor for<br />
an additional six weeks. Following the training, we took an oral<br />
exam given by the training director, and, once we passed, we<br />
obtained our wings.<br />
<strong>GW</strong>N: Emergency flight nursing is tough and stressful work.<br />
What do you do to stay mentally and physically healthy?<br />
BK: I remember the first flight shift I had on my own. My<br />
paramedic, a former Navy Seal, told me to check and calm my own<br />
heart rate before I checked anyone else. Now before every call<br />
I think about what he told me. It will be with me forever: “Calm<br />
your own heartbeat, your own breathing.”<br />
Stable and secure professional and personal relationships also<br />
help me deal with the stress of my job. I’m originally from a very<br />
small town in Illinois. I’m a farm girl where there are more cows<br />
in the town than people. Even though I haven’t lived there for 13<br />
years, I try to keep the Midwestern values taught to me by my<br />
parents and older siblings. I also have an enormous amount of<br />
support from my family, friends and coworkers. My coworkers and<br />
I are a team, and our motto is that we work together and we don’t<br />
leave each other behind.<br />
Physically, CrossFit training helps me stay in shape so I can<br />
manage the 50-pound bag of gear required in the field and be<br />
able to save lives in some of the most extreme conditions. The<br />
helicopter can be as cold as 5 degrees or as hot as 120.<br />
<strong>GW</strong>N: What advice do you give to students just embarking<br />
on their nursing education and careers?<br />
BK: Trust in the process, and take it one day at a time, one week<br />
at a time, one test at a time. Everything you do in nursing school<br />
leads up to the NCLEX. My advice to new nurses is to know it’s<br />
OK to make mistakes, just learn from them. I’ve made mistakes<br />
before, but I learn from them and keep going.<br />
“Trust in the process, and take it one<br />
day at a time, one week<br />
at a time, one test at a time.”<br />
— Brittany Key, BSN ’11<br />
nursing.gwu.edu / 39
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