In this podcast episode we want to introduce you to our BCEN friend, Adam Vilander. Adam Vilander is a master’s-prepared nurse educator with over a decade of frontline experience in emergency and critical care settings. He currently serves as the Emergency and Trauma Nursing Specialist for Samaritan Health Services, a five-hospital system in Oregon, where he leads clinical education, trauma initiatives, and quality improvement efforts. In addition to his leadership role, Adam works as a flight nurse, delivering advanced prehospital care and transport for critically ill and injured patients. His expertise spans trauma resuscitation, rural and remote emergency care, and high-acuity operations. Passionate about evidence-based practice and nurse development, Adam is dedicated to advancing care delivery and improving outcomes in complex, high-pressure environments. Adam’s career spans prehospital care, the ER, critical care, and flight nursing—and through it all, he’s chased his goals with determination while navigating some of the hardest experiences nursing can bring. His story is packed with lessons, perspective, and inspiration, so buckle up. This episode is called, “Don't let your dreams just be dreams.” Adam can be contacted through email at avilander@samhealth.org or on LinkedIn @AdamVilander BCEN & Friends Podcast is presented by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing. We invite you to visit us online at bcen.org for additional information about emergency nursing certification, education, and much more. Episode introduction created using elevenlabs.io