Throughout his six years as a nurse, Arend Folkens has experienced plenty of important lessons and notable moments. In fact, Arend said one of his most rewarding moments as a critical care flight nurse with Angel MedFlight happened within the first six months of his position. The Angel MedFlight team arrived at 3am in Cancun, Mexico to transfer a patient with a broken hip. They flew all night, transporting the patient to Minnesota for surgery. It was a mission Arend said left him with great joy knowing he made a significant difference in the patient’s life.
Arend said his family’s history in medicine initially inspired him to become a flight nurse. His grandfather was both a pilot and a doctor, which encouraged Arend to combine the two paths in his own career.
Although Arend’s particular career path has sent him to the skies for now, one of his favorite things about the field is the flexibility of job opportunities nurses have.
“As a nurse, I can work in critical care, the emergency department, pediatrics, the OR, and the list goes on,” he says. “Nursing is a highly diversified field of medicine and makes for a very interesting career.”
He encourages aspiring and current nurses in any field to keep an open mind and never stop learning.
“Healthcare is always changing with new meds, new procedures, and new diagnoses,” he says. “In order to be good at what you do and continue to be excited to show up to work, staying current is key.”
We are incredibly thankful to have Arend on the Angel MedFlight team. Every day, people like him work tirelessly to ensure seamless medical transport every step of the way.
https://blog.angelmedflight.com/2016/05/27/meet-angel-medflight-critical-care-flight-nurse-arend-folkens/