People have brought the nursing shortage into the spotlight in many different ways. Some groups and organizations have done studies, while some states have established task forces. Articles have been published, seminars have been held, and sessions have been taught. Patrick Hickey, RN, BSN, MS, MSN, Dr. P.H., CNOR, an assistant clinical professor at the University of South Carolina, is taking a different route. He’s going to the top of the world.
“What I’m doing is climbing the highest peaks on the seven continents,” says Hickey, 51. “It’s sort of like the Holy Grail of mountaineering.”
Hickey is hoping his quest ends sometime over the next several months on top of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak at 29,035 feet. Aside from becoming a member of the elusive and exclusive “7 Summits Club,” he is also raising (no pun intended) awareness for the nursing shortage and kicking off the Summit Scholarship at the University of South Carolina (USC) with his journey. Hickey is hoping to raise $29,035–one dollar for every foot of Everest.
“Hopefully, it will go to a well-deserving student nurse,” Hickey says. “I’ve been a nurse for 30 years. It’s time for me to give back.”
Seven years ago, Hickey began his hiking adventure. He has scaled the highest peak on six of the world’s seven continents so far. He conquered No. 6, Mt. Vinson in Antarctica, over the holiday season. Mt. McKinley in Alaska has been his favorite.
“Hands down, it’s the most beautiful mountain I’ve ever been on,” Hickey says. “It’s the best-kept secret in the United States.”
As Hickey continued to rack up altitude and peaks, the rarified air gave him a brainstorm to turn the whole project into a way to help others. Working as a nursing professor helped drive the idea, too.
“A lot of students are working two and three jobs,” Hickey says. “I can’t go to a restaurant around here without running into a nursing student. I’d like to help someone lessen their anxiety, to not work as much.”
In the meantime, he’s working as hard as ever. He’s doing sit-ups, push-ups, and any type of cardio exercise he can find. If you’re ever looking for him, he’s probably running up and down the football stadium steps at USC. “I’m nervous about my training,” Hickey says. “I’m basically going to be six miles high, and there are no books out there to tell you how to climb the highest mountain in the world.”
He expects to be at base camp in Nepal around mid-April and will train for a couple of months until the weather will allow him and his team to take a shot at the summit. But even before he takes a single icy step up Everest, the idea has garnered attention for his cause. He’s been interviewed by USA Today and is hoping to find his way onto “The Today Show.” He’s received emails from fellow nurses and total strangers who want to help the cause.
“I think we in the healthcare arena know about [the nursing shortage], but I’m not sure if the public is aware of it,” he says. “It’s going to affect them and their family members. I’m just trying to make the public more aware.”
Hickey hopes to gain more recognition for his cause upon his successful return. He plans to speak to audiences (including, perhaps, the National Student Nurses Association) about his journey and even has plans to write a book about it.
“I’d like to talk about the seven summits and draw similarities from what I do on the mountain to what people do in their daily lives,” he says. “All of us have our own Mt. Everest that looms in front of us everyday. We just need to challenge ourselves.”
To learn more about Hickey’s quest, the scholarship, or how to donate, go to www.sc.edu/nursing/SummitScholarship.html or www.amercan.us.
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