Meet Tanner.

West Virginia University School of Nursing student Tanner Colley (pictured right) had an unforgettable experience early June while working as an EMT with Ambulance & Chair EMS in Washington County, Pa.

While on their June 4 shift, Colley and her co-worker Taylor Hampshire (pictured left), a paramedic, were dispatched to assist a female in active labor. When they arrived, the patient was being assessed by Cokeburg Volunteer Fire Department. As Colley and Hampshire transported the patient to the hospital, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy in the back of the ambulance.

“Helping deliver this baby was the most fun EMS call I have ever been on in my almost six years of working on the ambulance,” Colley said. “I am very thankful for the help and guidance from my wonderful paramedic partner, Taylor, and of course what I learned in my OB classes and clinicals.”

She continued, “Once we got the baby delivered, Taylor and I were so happy and relieved. Then we had the amazing experience of being able to share the joyful moment with mom and dad in the back of the ambulance during the rest of our trip to Washington Hospital. It definitely reminded me of what EMS and nursing are all about!”

Colley, a Decatur, Tennessee native who is also a cadet with the WVU Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), first started working part-time as an EMT during her senior year of high school.

“I fell in love with EMS and earning by BSN/RN seemed like the next step in my career,” Colley said. She accepted a spot as a Pre-Nursing student at the WVU School of Nursing, then applied to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program and was accepted.

She continued working as an EMT throughout her college experience and has since had the opportunity to work in four different Pennsylvania counties, each with its own unique patient population and health needs.

“I attribute a lot of my success in nursing school to my experiences working on the ambulance,” Colley shared. “It has given me time to practice communicating with patients, families, and other healthcare providers. Additionally, it has helped me improve my patient assessment skills, critical thinking, and ability to work under stress.”

She said she looks forward to taking all these skills and experiences forward into her career as a nurse. Her anticipated graduation date is December 2022.