Saturday, February 10, 2007

En Route Care Training

Finished up the last of three weeks of training friday. Wednesday-Friday the trauma nurses went thru a new course developed by Naval Operational Medicine. It was a mix of classroom instruction on flight physiology and environmental stressors along with equipment familiarization and trauma scenarios. The class culminated friday with a trip to New River Marine Corps Air Station for in-flight training. We split up the class and flew around coastal N. Carolina for the morning with two instructors and a sim-patient along with monitors, IV's, oxygen, ect. I have done simple MEDVACs in the past while I was on a surgical team, but quickly realized this was an entirely different realm of "complicated". Our helos will be flying with all doors and windows open while in theatre, and the prop wash is like a mini jetstream blowing thru the fuselage. The noise prevents us from hearing anything....I'll be lucky if I can hear myself think. Here's the biggest kicker: I will probably be flying at night. The pilots are becoming more adverse to daytime operations, and most flights will be at night in a blacked out cabin.........my instincts will be heavily relied upon.

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8 comments:

Tracey said...

Carl,
Nice blog. Amelia is almost grown! I can't believe it!! You have accomplished so much and you should be so proud! I will keep you in our thoughts and prayers and most important. I am glad that you wear the armor!!

God Bless,
Tracey

Dad said...

Hi son.
Many of us civilians know that what you men and women do is difficult and dangerous but really don't know to what degree. Thanks for telling it like it is so we have a better understanding. And it's easier to explain to others when I can just go online and "show and tell".

Carl said...

Thank you for the feedback......it's unbelievable to have a career that's gratifying on so many different levels......I'm blessed.....Stay in touch everyone...it's great to get feedback on my entries!

Anonymous said...

Hey your patient isn't looking so good. Is her name Annie?!?! That was the name of the SIM-Patient when i learned CPR...
"ANNIE...ANNIE...ARE YOU OK??!?!"

Carl said...

I named him Fred, because he was better off dead :-)

Dad said...

I just assumed that was one of the team members who had trouble on the Helo Dunker?

Anonymous said...

DAD! pretty funny! you guys are crackingme up here at work! LOL that HELO DUNK is pretty rough!

Anonymous said...

Funny, I would be grateful for your instincts and care. Your intentions and concern would go a long way knowing you the person.

When it is dark enough, you can see the stars. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Man performs and engenders so much more than he can or should have to bear. That's how he finds that he can bear anything. ~William Faulkner