Document: ADMAGAZINE_MAIN_1ST_11-10-08_NURSINGFALL11_B_M_11_44444;Page: 1;Trim size: (8.375 x 10.875 ");Plate: Composite;Date: 28 Oct, 2008 14:24:38
“When we had mass casualties,we would justAstory from Vietnam | Carol Bettermann,who
line up and triagethe patients,a nd we did suturingworks at the IndianapolisVA Medical Center,
and minor surgery as anurse,”she said.“InaservedinVietnam from 1970 to 1971,just after
combat situation,youhavetoshe finished nursing school.
adapt and do whatever youAs afirst lieutenant in the U.S.
need to [do] to t ake care of theArmy,Bettermann was stationed at
wounded.”amilitaryhospital,first in ama laria
Of course,eventhe best nursewardand then in an intensivecareunit.
can’tsaveeveryo ne.BettermannSheworked an exhausting schedule of
said the hardest partofher12-hour shifts,s ix days aweek,b ut she
experience was watchingrelished the learning opportunity.
soldiers —manyofthem her“For me,itwas a veryrewarding
ownage —die or acquirepermanent disabilities.experience,”Bettermann said.“It gives you
Meanwhile,Bettermann had to worry about hersuchavast background.Wheneveryou’re
ownsafety. Her hospital was near aMarine baseexposed to asituation,youprettywellknowhow
and an ammunitionstorage facility, so it often wasto handle it,because you’vebeen thereand done
under fire.that before.”
“Weusuallyhad a lot of incoming r ockets fromIn the ICU,for e xample,Bettermanntreated
theVietnamese,”she said.“When t he sirens wentMiller patients with avarietyofinjuries,suchasshrapn el
off,you crawled under abed,but youknewifawounds and burns.Shealso performedproceduresRich
rocket came it wasn’t going to do anygood.”typicallyhandled by doctors.
Carol Bettermann Photo:
fellow soldiers withAstory from Iraq | Like Bettermann, For aQ&A with Heather
problems suchasHeather Sulokwas deployedtoacombat Sulok, see Page 2 2.
heat strokeandzone almost immediatelyafter earning her
dehydration.Those experiences sharpened hernursing degree.In 2004,she went to Iraq for
skills,abenefit in her job as a nurse at15 months as amember of the
St.Francis Hospital.U.S. Army Reserve.
But the most important benefits,Sulokwas assigned to drive
Suloksaid,werethe intangible o nes.transporttrucks,atask that oft en
Shelearned to reallylisten to w hatput her directlyinthe line of fi re.
other people had to sayand to“Wehad armor on our trucks,
be grateful for the comforts andbut youcould stillhear the ting of
freedoms she enjoys in America.the bullets,”Suloksaid.“It’sscary,but
“Inthe hospital,youhaveeveryt hing at yourat the time you’re in suchheightened
beckand call.It’sacontrolled environment,asawareness that youjust react [andthen]Miller
much as it canbe,”she said.“Ou tthere,youdon’tthink later.”
Rich knowwhat’s going to happen.”Sulokstillput her medical skill stouse,helping
Heather Sulok Photo:
who don’twant to deploy,”hesaid.“WelovetodoAstory from Germany | ForBettermann and
what we do.”Sulok,the days of serving in war zones areover.
Shinkle maylovethe job,but that doesn’t meanBut for RickShinkle,acaptain in the Air Force
it’s easy.Hemust monitor the conditionofaboutReserve,potentiallydangerous daysarestilltocome.
30 patients per flight,alteringShinkle,anurse at the St.Vincent
standardprocedures to compensateHeartCenter of Indiana,belongs to an
for altitude,temperate changes,air and medical evacuationsquadron
vibrations and similar problems.that transports injured soldiers from
In manyways,evacuatingcombat zones to hospitals in the U.S.or
injured soldiers is the same asallied nations.
working in ahospital.Shinkle servedfrom 1995 to 2003 and
“You’regetting them backtotheir family[and]then re-enlisted in the same unit in 2007.
yk out of asituationthat is dangerous,”Shinkle said.Although he has completed missions in
Lebr “You probablywillnever see these patients again,butGermany, he said he hopes to be deployedtoa
knowing they’re getting the care that theyneed isMarc combat zone next summer.
rewardenough for me.”“Therearen’tverymanypeople in my squadronCapt. Rick Shinkle
Photo:
1ST Indiana Nursing Quarterly ∼ Fall 2008 • 11
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