Patient journey comes full circle, from accident to nursing

On a sunny winter morning, Kaitlyn Julas’ life was irrevocably changed. While driving to work, she was involved in a severe car accident that left her with extensive trauma — her face and skull were crushed. As the minutes ticked by, her fate seemed uncertain.

“I woke up to the searing sting of ice and snow piercing my bare skin,” Julas recalled. “A metallic taste. Darkness. I couldn’t see what was happening. Panic overcame me as I attempted to stand up. I remember slurring my words and I could hear myself saying out loud, ‘Help me, somebody please help me!’”

A ground ambulance shortly arrived and transported her to a rural hospital, where a STARS crew picked her up and provided critical care in the air while en route to a trauma centre in the city.

Julas’ journey from that fateful day to the present has been nothing short of remarkable. Embracing the second chance she was given, she dedicated herself to recovery. Through rigorous physiotherapy and a determined spirit, she pursued a career in health care, driven by a deep-seated desire to give back and make a difference. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing and worked diligently across several hospitals to gain experience and support herself.

I think the reason I’m so attracted to this type of position is the ability to give back to the community and to make sure that everybody has access to high-level critical care.
Kaitlyn Julas, STARS Very Important Patient

Then, Julas was offered a second ride in a STARS helicopter, this time as a ride-along observer to support her career in trauma nursing. Donning a flight suit like the ones worn by the very nurses who saved her life, she joined our Edmonton team for a daylong shift and was struck by the poignancy.

“I put the suit on, and I was thinking, ‘Wow, this is a full-circle moment,’” said Julas. “It’s pretty incredible.”

During the ride-along, the team responded to a motor vehicle collision (MVC), a scenario all too familiar to Julas, and the patient was transported to the hospital where she works. “The patient was in an MVC and had sustained a significant head injury, as ironic as that is,” she said. “I got to be on the other side of what I had experienced as a patient.”

Seeing a mission from inside the helicopter, Julas watched first hand the unique challenges of providing critical care in the air. The small space of the helicopter interior demanded another level of swift, precise action and constant adaptability. She was fascinated by our crew members’ ability to manage critical care in such intense settings.

“It’s an incredibly intimate environment with your partner,” explained Julas. “The nurse and the medic are working together in conjunction. So, the paramedic manages the patient’s airway, generally, and the nurse manages the care and the medications. And you’re working within arm’s reach of all your life-saving interventions, which are all compressed into small areas for storage.”

As she witnessed the seamless integration of her two worlds, the full circle of her journey became clear: the very service that once rescued her was now intertwined with her professional life. This moment, where her past and present converged, was a testament to the dedication and perseverance she had shown
throughout her recovery and career.

“I think the reason I’m so attracted to this type of position is just the ability to give back to the community and to make sure that everybody has access to high-level critical care, despite where they may be geographically,” said Julas.

“If I could impact one person’s life as profoundly as mine has been impacted, I feel like I could say that that’s a life well lived.”