Sherrie Hinz, RN, EMSRN

1. What inspired you to become a nurse?
When I was 12 years old, my father suffered a stroke. He died at 42 years old, when I was 14. He was always a busy man, he was hypertensive and noncompliant. While in the hospital, there was a nurse who I thought was always mean to my daddy. But later I realized that if she hadn't been so strict and strong, he wouldn't have been able to do anything. He got to a point where he was able to pick up a spoon again. It was then that I wanted to be just like her because I saw the progress of my dad. That was my first real encounter with nurses. The image of her stuck with me.

2. What are your specialties, and how did you get there?
Critical care transport and cardiovascular thoracic. I work for Valley Hospital and Medical Center in surgical ICU and as a fixed-wing flight nurse for Med Flight Air Ambulance. I also recently took on an assignment as marketing program facilitator for Med Flight, where I am responsible for developing relationships with all hospitals in the city.

3. Are nurses teachers?
We have to teach the right information to the right patient in the right time frame. It's our responsibility as nurses to be as well informed and educated as we can be. We are the last block between the hospital and the door, or the airplane door and the hospital.

Our health system is broken. There needs to be much more informed patients and consumers. The system has moved so fast -- it's not the doctors, or the insurance companies, or the hospitals. The enormity is that the system is moving in megaspeed. People are living longer because there are drugs putting people back to life; we are transplanting organs, doing stem cell research, offering botox and plastic surgery, etc.

4. What do you like best about working in the nursing field?
By ground, I get to use critical thinking skills a great deal, and others trust my opinions. By air, there is a sense of accomplishment to be able to care for patients and deliver them to another hospital. If a patient needs a heart or lung, I have impacted the patient's life. I was told that I was too old to be a flight nurse, that because of my race I wouldn't be able to accomplish it, that women don't need to be in these situations, but I proved them all wrong. It's important for me to do a good job. It's my goal to be really, really good; then, I will not let families down when they hand me their father, mother, daughter or son to transport.

5. What do you bring to your patients?
There's not a better place to be funny than in the air. When in these situations, patients realize what little power they actually have. I help to put them at ease. When you hear the word "nurse" it evokes a feeling of comfort. My patients realize I have a level of knowledge. I provide them with a secure feeling. For families, I often explain plane safety and discuss expectations.

6. What, if any, barriers have you had to overcome?
Tons. I became a registered nurse in my mid-30s. My husband expected me to work three days and be a wife. But it was more than that. I definitely had lack of support in my immediate family. When you choose critical care as a specialty, it requires a lot of training. One of my barriers was financial; that was early in my career. Another barrier was exposure. I wasn't aware of the availability of the opportunities in nursing. There was a lack of information. I have been taking time to volunteer with kids in high-risk schools and explain to them the importance of nursing. I feel it's my job to make sure somebody out there knows how important our profession is.

There hadn't been an African American critical care nurse in Nevada before. Affirmative action opened the door; if it hadn't, I would have kicked it in anyway. Once you reach a level of accomplishment, you dispel their assumptions. I got here because I was determined to be good. I looked at what lengths I would go to be the best.

7. Do you have a personal story you'd like to share?
I remember a 40-year-old man with liver and kidney failure who needed a transplant. His chance of surviving the flight was very low. His chance of surviving at the hospital was zero. While in flight, we attempted to resuscitate him, and we got his rhythm back. But he died when we arrived at the hospital. It was very, very hard because I wanted him to get the transplant so bad. Unfortunately he had abused his body. I always say we can't help what they did, but we can deal with the illness at this point, pick up the ball and run with it. I did everything I could that was medically possible. But he was too far-gone.

8. What are your most proud accomplishments?
Becoming a flight nurse. Sticking to it. Learning what I needed to know. Testing my fear of failure. At first I sabotaged myself, but then opportunity presented itself and I became good at it. Now I am teaching other people how to do it. Of all my turning points, my son Issac's birth was the one motivating factor that inspired me to continue on, to obtain an education, and to pursue beyond fatigue, disappointments and divorce.

9. What are your plans for the future?
I hope to get a master's in nursing, so I can teach when I'm too old to fly. I'd also like to mentor; share with young nurses what they represent when they walk into a patient's life.

10. What words of wisdom do you have for a student just graduating?
Always leave patients better than you found them. I go home each day knowing that I did the best job that I could do. Know your patients. Find out what they really need to be comfortable. Approach them in a caring way. Make sure their needs and issues are being addressed. When you reach out, they will feel better.

11. Anything else you'd like to share?
At home, I have a wall that I call the "inspiration wall." In the center of the wall is a photo of Mary Elizabeth Mahoney, the first registered professional nurse. I have surrounded the wall with all things that appeal to me in life. It reminds me of what I need to be. I have cards, gifts and candles from patients. It validates my theory that I left them better than I found them. It really means a lot to me.

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