Air ambulance visits Univ. of Ala. Capstone College of Nursing in Tuscaloosa

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - University of Alabama nursing students in Tuscaloosa got a treat Monday with a break from their studies to explore a medical helicopter, and they didn’t have far to walk to see and touch it.

The helicopter landed next door to the Capstone College of Nursing Monday morning. It was a chance for nursing students to see a real medivac up close, a chance to consider being a flight nurse one day, and they were not the only ones who were exposed to the ‘wow’ factor.

The chopper circled a few times and then landed just yards from the Capstone College of Nursing at the University of Alabama. Once on the ground, it was all there to touch and marvel at - especially for the nursing students.

“I wanna do flight,” said Justin Bennett.

Bennett is close to graduating. He’ll do three years as a nurse in a local hospital, required training before hopping on board as a flight nurse.

“We try to do as much as we can. We try to expose students to the many fields of nursing, including flight. We want to give our students an opportunity and know about it,” said Bennett.

While there, the chopper served another purpose.

Andi Gillen is in charge of the RISE program on campus, one that specializes in music therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy for infants and preschoolers. All 90 of them got a chance to get outside Monday and see something they’ve never seen, up close and personal.

“We know our children learn through play, through touch, through experience first hand, community helpers, so one of our parents is actually a nurse on the helicopter flight, so he offered to have the helicopter come,” said RISE Center director Andi Gillen.

That flight nurse is Ian Hannah, whose wife is also a nurse, but a pediatric nurse on the ground. Hannah says his job of caring for a patient 2,500 feet in the air is beyond rewarding.

“We take care of the sickest of the sick patients, so we do have the ability to make change and help somebody out in their critical time of need,” said Hannah.

For one group, the medical helicopter provided a chance to explore a possible future. For the little ones, an opportunity to see a whole new world of technology and medical care in the air.

The helicopter that stopped by campus Monday is based in Bessemer. The pilot with Regional Air-Medical Services says they answer about 30 calls per month.

Get news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here.