PHOENIX, AZ, Jan. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shannon Dunn, an Air Methods float flight nurse, recently achieved the impressive milestone of transporting her 1,000th patient after less than eight years on the flight line. This accomplishment not only underscores Dunn’s commitment, dedication, and resilience but also her unwavering focus on providing high-quality care and ensuring patient safety throughout each transport.
“I wouldn’t have been able to help this many people without the great support I have at Air Methods,” said Dunn. “From my teammates to direct manager to as high up as our leadership, I feel everyone looks out for one another, gets the job done, and keeps me showing up to continue helping people.”
Dunn’s path to becoming a flight nurse was not always clear. As a teenager, she had an aversion to needles and blood. In her early twenties, however, seeing her best friend give birth was a game changer and where she discovered she no longer felt the need to shy away from “nursing duties.”
While she never envisioned herself as a flight clinician through nursing school, it wasn’t until her time in the emergency room that she saw firsthand the tremendous impact she could have with her critical care clinical skills.
“Within my first few months as a new grad nurse in the ER, I found out there were flight nurses,” said Dunn. “My first thought was ‘I want to do that.’ I had already done the one thing I thought I would never do, which was become a nurse. Now, I was thinking about becoming a flight nurse. I was fully invested after nursing school and thought how neat it would be to provide care to those most in need on the flight line.”
She began her career as a flight nurse in 2016, serving at Air Methods’ TriState CareFlight 3 in Parker, AZ. Three years later, upon prompting from her peers, she transitioned into a float flight nurse role, applying her expertise wherever it was needed most. Pairing her love with traveling and learning new things, Dunn has served at hundreds of Air Methods’ bases across the country – an achievement in itself.
“Shannon achieved an incredible milestone caring for 1,000 people on the flight line. True to her unwavering dedication, she has already set her sights on her next goal of impacting 1,500 people,” said Ann Rolfe, float and pool manager with Air Methods, the leading air medical provider in the nation. “It is an honor to have her as part of the float team, where her commitment to excellence, unmatched work ethic, and relentless drive to go above and beyond inspire everyone she works with.”
Dunn says Air Methods’ commitment to clinical excellence is what attracted her to the position.
“Air Methods is always looking for new technology and clinically backed techniques to improve patient outcomes,” said Dunn. “The dedication to constant quality improvement through process improvement, and peer reviews is just one more way Air Methods sets itself apart.”
At Air Methods, pilots are trained using Level D Full Flight Simulators, the highest fidelity flight simulator approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, representing the most sophisticated and accurate simulators used by most commercial airlines.
Clinicians receive hands-on training through Air Methods Ascend, an in-person and online training program that allows clinicians to perform at the top of their licensure, providing the highest level of prehospital care, and enabling clinicians to work in lockstep across the region no matter the community they are serving.
“I have seen Air Methods take a lot of positive strides in increasing this and staying current with all the changes in stroke, cardiac, and trauma care,” said Dunn. “Mental health awareness is another area Air Methods prioritizes, recognizing, supporting, and offering help to employees impacted by their day-to-day jobs.”
Dunn’s journey highlights not just her personal growth but the remarkable impact of the support and clinical dedication fostered by Air Methods. To learn about career opportunities, visit www.airmethods.com/careers.
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Denisse Coffman Air Methods 720-666-8499 media@airmethods.com
