Ep. 72 - ER and Flight Nurse, Paramedic - Ryan Harmon, Cincinnati Children's Hospital

Welcome back to the Joust About Careers podcast! This episode features a conversation with Ryan Harmon, a 2002 Van Buren graduate who is a Critical Care Transport, ER, and Flight Nurse and Paramedic who is currently studying to become a Nurse Practitioner. Ryan shares how a typical day looks in the emergency room, how he became a flight nurse and what that means, how the military helped him choose his career path, and much more. Whether you are interested in a healthcare career or are still exploring your options, I hope that what Ryan shares will help all of you make better career decisions and have fulfilling career journeys. Enjoy the show! 1:42 - A typical day for Ryan as an ER nurse 3:24 - The ages of patients at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital 4:03 - The education a nurse receives covers all ages, and additional certifications can be earned. 5:58 - Ryan’s experiences as a flight nurse came after many other career experiences in the military, as an EMT, etc. 10:31 - Firefighting in the military and earning a professional firefighter’s certification at Vanguard Career Center in Fremont 12:48 - A career in healthcare allows a person to find employment almost anywhere. 16:00 - The most enjoyable experiences Ryan has had in his career and how all of his experiences helped him figure out what he really wants to do. 18:00 - Life as a flight nurse - both in the air and on the ground 21:22 - Determining when LifeFlight is needed 23:22 - Deciding when the right time was to earn a college degree 25:18 - All certifications are valuable and could lead to a higher salary. 27:28 - Continuing education hours are also needed, and certifications can be a way to earn those hours in addition to the certifications. 29:10 - Characteristics of people who are successful in the healthcare field, specifically in nursing and flight nursing 30:23 - It can be hard to get into a flight nursing career. 31:56 - Weirdly, the healthcare issues people face are different based on where people live. 32:33 - The military gave Ryan a chance to figure out what he truly wanted to do. Questions? Connect with Brian on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/brian-bratt/) or e-mail (bbratt@vbschools.net). Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/ryan-harmon-1a457684/) or by e-mail (harm2002@gmail.com).