Andrew Tran provides emergency medical care while 8,000 feet in the air, treating trauma patients during their helicopter ride to a hospital.
Tran is a flight nurse.
“Going into nursing I always thought emergency medicine is where I’m going to be. Trauma, that’s where all the crazy stuff happens, that’s what I want to get my hands into,” he said.
As a male nurse, Tran has had to fight stereotypes throughout his career, but the 2013 WCU-Orange County graduate is proud to be making a difference in his patients’ lives.
“The stereotype is we’re just here to carry heavy stuff, let’s just have the male nurse just push the bed,” he said. “There’s a femininity that comes with Nursing it’s the compassion and the caring but men can do that too, we do have a soft side.”
Tran believes that in order to really make a difference in someone’s life you have to ignore the stereotypes and just go for it.
“If you enjoy it, if you want to make a direct impact on people’s lives, then I think (nursing) is the profession for you,” he said.
Currently, Tran is working towards his master degree to become a family nurse practitioner, but for now he loves the thrill of being in the air.
“I do foresee myself (being a flight nurse) for quite a while,” he said. “I mean where else can I take care of a patient in a helicopter and really enjoy what I do every single day?”
As a proud WCU alumnus, Tran is thankful for all the knowledge he gained at the university and believes it set him up for success in his career.
“My advice to future graduates is to appreciate where you came from and where I came from was West Coast University,” he said. “It really built the foundation of who I am today as a nurse and where I am in my career.”
WCU provides career guidance and assistance but cannot guarantee employment. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or position of the school or of any instructor or student.
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