With popular medical dramas like Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice and Scrubs dominating weeknight television, it’s natural for people to think of hospitals full of doctors and nurses dressed in scrubs when they picture the nursing profession. For Mike Bailey, it would be more appropriate to think of helicopters, pilots, and flight suits instead.
Mike, a graduate of Northwest State Community College’s nursing program, is a critical care transport charge nurse for ProMedica. In his position, he provides care and transport for critically ill patients on board the ProMedica Air helicopter.
“It’s never too late to earn a degree. You set your own limitations on what you can achieve.”
“There are so many different roles for an RN,” said Mike. “From victim advocate to transport nurse and everything in between, there are a lot of options for nursing graduates these days. You don’t have to necessarily be into ‘blood and guts’ to be a nurse, you just have to be a compassionate, caring person.”
Although Mike has found his dream career as a flight nurse, it took him some time discover that this was his calling. After high school, he explored an interest in criminal justice at a large university before enlisting in the US Navy where he served as a hospital corpsman. It was then that his career goals become clear and he began focusing on becoming a nurse. “My duties as a hospital corpsman were similar to that of an LPN and a paramedic, depending on which unit I was assigned to,” said Mike.
After leaving the Navy, several of Mike’s mentors recognized his potential and encouraged him to pursue an education in nursing. He took their advice, and chose to enroll in classes at Northwest State. “The campus was close to home, and the College had a good reputation for nursing education,” said Mike. His training in the medical field, as well as the discipline he learned from his time in the Navy, gave Mike the foundation he needed to excel in his education and his profession.
When Mike graduated from NSCC’s registered nursing program in 1999, he set a career goal of becoming a flight nurse within ten years. Knowing that there are only approximately 2,000 people across the entire country who work as flight nurses, Mike knew he needed to focus on acquiring specialized skills and experience in order to reach his goal. Through his determination, careful planning and personal sacrifice, Mike earned the position of flight nurse within four years of graduating.
Although he is based in Defiance, Mike has traveled as far as New Jersey to transport a patient. Along with responding to auto accidents, Mike also transports patients from one hospital to another in the air ambulance.
Regardless of the reason for the transport, Mike says it is extremely rewarding to offer care and support for patients and families during their times of need.
Since Mike found his dream career as an RN, he has made it his mission to encourage others to consider the various career opportunities offered throughout the nursing profession. Recently, he helped motivate a friend of his who thought she was too old to change careers. When she finally committed to earning her degree, she never looked back. “She completed the nursing program at NSCC, began working as an RN and loved it,” said Mike.
To those who are second guessing whether they have what it takes to earn a degree, Mike simply says, “It’s never too late. You set your own limitations on what you can achieve.”
