University and hospital system collaborate to offer new clinical experiences on medical helicopter to graduate nursing students

A Metro Life Flight helicopter arrives at the Kent State
University Esplanade on Oct. 22. Kent State’s College of
Nursing and the MetroHealth System are collaborating to
offer clinical experiences aboard Metro Life Flight to Kent
State graduate nursing students in the acute care nurse
practitioner concentration.

After a nearly yearlong planning process, Kent State’s College of Nursing and the MetroHealth System have collaborated to now offer clinical experiences aboard Metro Life Flight to Kent State graduate nursing students in the acute care nurse practitioner concentration. The new clinical experiences started this fall semester.

Metro Life Flight, the first air medical program in the area, had one of its helicopters visit Kent State University on Oct. 22, landing on the University Esplanade. Members of the Kent State community, general public and media witnessed the helicopter landing and learned more about how Kent State’s College of Nursing is enhancing its academic programs so graduate nurses have Metro Life Flight clinical experience, further developing their skills and competencies to practice nursing at the highest level and providing trauma experiences.

“The need to increase the number of advanced practice nurses in Northeast Ohio is associated with the need to engage nursing students who will have a substantial impact and gain skills and competencies that will more precisely care for the patients,” says Gail Bromley, Ph.D., associate dean of Kent State’s College of Nursing. “The increased number of well-educated nurses has been acknowledged by national nursing organizations and think tanks as a critical goal that must be achieved to meet the increased demand to meet patient needs.”

Christinna Haire, director for Kent State’s adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner program, and nursing faculty members Louann Bailey and Ellen Prewitt established the program guidelines and student outcome goals to enrich their clinical experiences and increase understanding of optimal care for traumatized patients. The Kent State graduate nursing students in the program are Alicia Grube, Katherine Henkels, Alanna Hurst, Jessica Roman and William Spanner.

“Students who have had the Metro Life Flight clinical experience recognize that they will be uniquely positioned to work with trauma patients,” Bromley says. “Their education and training with the Metro Life Flight interdisciplinary team supports the professional development of more empowered nurses who will be prepared to care for complex patients.”

For more information about Metro Life Flight, visit www.metrohealth.org/lifeflight.

For more information about Kent State’s College of Nursing, visit www.kent.edu/nursing.