Alumni Blog

Congratulations on your graduation, Class of 2020! 
 
My name is John Fulmer and I serve as the president of the Seattle U GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) Council, which is a group of alumni volunteers organized to support your transition from the classroom to the workforce and your next 10 years. We aim to provide you with opportunities to stay connected with alumni and the university through community gatherings, service opportunities and professional development. As you transition into this next chapter of your life, remember that you are now part of the supportive and diverse community that is Seattle U GOLD. 
 
The first few years of your life after graduation will be filled with challenge, excitement and growth. You might find yourself pursuing additional education, working full-time at a startup or nonprofit, or moving back home to support your families or local communities. Wherever you find yourself, you will employ the skills you developed at Seattle U  to drive change and create a more  just and humane world .  
 
I stayed in the Seattle area and started my professional career at Boeing before quickly returning  to Seattle U for a part-time graduate degree. After graduate school, I moved to Amazon,  where I am currently working. While I felt lucky to live and work in a community that meant so much to me, I missed the service and engagement opportunities that I loved as a student at Seattle U. This is when I found Seattle U GOLD and got hooked on our incredible alumni community! 
 
As you finish up your last finals and receive your diploma, I would like to invite you to join our new career and networking platform Redhawk Landing. Redhawk Landing connects alumni with students and other alumni for short- and long-term mentorship. Network within the community or meet alumni in your city or industry. . Additionally, find a complete listing of alumni and GOLD alumni activities by visiting our events page. To stay updated on all of our GOLD events and initiatives and to get involved, follow us on the GOLD Facebook and GOLD Instagram pages. We would love to see you engage with us. 

On behalf of the entire Seattle U GOLD Council, congratulations on your achievement and welcome to life as a Redhawk alum! 

John Fulmer, ’15, ’18
GOLD Council President 

Flight nurses provide emergency care around the clock. These healthcare professionals work closely with first responders to transport critical patients. In the WAMI region, Airlift Northwest, an entity of UW Medicine transports patients from accidents and remote locations to Seattle in order to receive definitive care. 

Nicole Hardie, ‘98 has been a pediatric flight nurse for Airlift Northwest for the past 13 years. “We will continue to go anywhere and get anyone, but COVID- 19 has impacted how I do my job, including how I protect myself and how I protect the next patient that I care for,” says Hardie.  

Due to how the virus spreads, Airlift Northwest has developed a transport protocol that is designed to keep patients and caregivers safe. “We triage all patients into green, yellow and red categories. A green patient has no symptoms, no sick contacts and no breathing tube. A yellow patient who has symptoms or a breathing tube is treated as a potential positive coronavirus case because of how the virus spreads. And finally, a red patient is a known COVID-positive patient.”  

Based on the triage category indicated by first responders and referring hospitals, flight nurses will put on the appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment) and start the transport. Since the start of the pandemic, Airlift Northwest has transported 50 red patients and 350 yellow patients.   

What used to take two hours now takes three to four hours due to the amount of cleaning and disinfecting required for each transport. “We take everything out of the helicopter, disinfect every single piece of equipment and the helicopter and then disinfect ourselves,” said Hardie. Her team may get notified that another patient is ready during this process, but the crew must continue to follow this detailed protocol in order to minimize any chance of exposure to COVID-19 for themselves and for the next patient. In one 24-hour shift, she may participate in as many as eight transport flights. 

Nurses play a vital role in healthcare. They are patient champions who take the whole person into consideration. “I see people on their worst day, and I am really cognizant and aware of trying to meet people in that space. The nursing program at Seattle University taught me cura personalis-to care for the whole person. It is about the medicine, the breathing treatment and drugs for pain, but it is also about being there for them and their family in that moment.” 

As Washington starts to ease restrictions and as we head into the summer, Hardie knows that transports will pick up. “We are heading into our peak season as people head outdoors. What we are currently seeing is smaller cities that didn’t have any infections are now experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases. We are expecting the number of patients that need transport to increase.”  

Hardie notes that people around the world are dealing with a health pandemic that is unknown and indiscriminate, but she sees this as a time to come together and learn together, rather than to grow apart. “We need to respect where people are in this whole process. Support each other. Educate yourself. And if you are at all feeling under the weather, stay home.”

Find out more about Airlift Northwest and their role in healthcare in Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho.