Featured Nurse Profile Scott Rhoades, MS, RN President, Space Nursing Society

---

Where do you live? 

Indiana, Pennsylvania. Indiana combines the best of rural living with access to urban culture of the cities of central and western Pennsylvania. We’re well known for our excellence in healthcare, our expanding university, power plants, evergreen trees, and our favorite hometown son – Jimmy Stewart. It’s truly a “Wonderful Life”.

What do you do for fun? 

Writing has become a relatively new pursuit for me and I hope to publish a book (or two). I enjoy music, and recently joined the staff at WMUG FM in Indiana, Pennsylvania to produce a 90 minute inspirational program entitled Sunday Morning Light. I love to hike and am looking forward to an upcoming trip to Mount St. Helens. My true passion is anything to do with flying or space exploration.

Why did you decide to be a nurse? 

Because a flight nurse took me along for a flight.

What about your education? 

I obtained a diploma in nursing at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Masters of Science (Nursing Education) from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Where do you work? 

I work for the Indiana Regional Medical Center in Indiana, Pa.  I am the Prehospital Care Coordinator there which means I oversee all aspects of our hospital’s interaction with EMS professionals.  I’ve also devoted much time to the area of aerospace nursing. I am currently the President of the Space Nursing Society, an international nursing organization representing nurses who are employed or interested in the aviation/aerospace industry.

Many of these nurses work for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the military, government contractors, and or private enterprise. Aerospace nurses deal with the health and well being of astronauts, pilots, aircrews, and passengers.
My experiences have taken me to places like Johnson Space Center in Houston, where I participated with astronaut medical training, and Kennedy Space Center where I completed a graduate internship and took part as an observer with the Medical Launch Support Teams for the Space Shuttle Endeavour, STS-118 mission in August of 2007. I’m also a Subject Matter Advisor to a NASA contractor for space medical operations.

Locally, it is a privilege to serve as Founder and Project Leader of the Patricia Hilliard Robertson Center for Aviation Medicine where we provide flight physicals and medical education for pilots and aircrews. The Center is named in honor of another hometown hero, deceased astronaut-physician Patricia Hilliard Robertson. I’m also involved with the Air Force Auxiliary and Civil Air Patrol, and participate on the local airport’s festival committee.

What’s the most important issue facing nursing or healthcare in your mind?

Burnout! We’ve lost some perspective and need to recover it…rapidly.

Who your biggest influence is in life and/or career?

Wow, that’s always a difficult question because God has blessed my life by surrounding me with some wonderful people. I do have my own personal “Board of Directors” – a select group of people I know or have known and I examine their lives and take the best of what they’ve given and try to put it to good use.

---