So You Want to Be a Flight Nurse? The No-BS Guide with Janessa Dean

Ever thought about trading your bedside badge for a flight suit? 🚁💉

In this episode of Club Nurse, Colton chats with Janessa Dean — former ICU + flight nurse turned flight nurse coach and creator of Flight Prep Academy. She breaks down exactly what flight nursing is, how the teams work (pilot + medic + nurse), what actually happens on scene calls vs inter-facility transfers, and why the job is way more about autonomy, critical thinking, and teamwork than TV drama.

Janessa gets super real about:

• What flight nurses actually do in the air (intubations, vents, chest tubes, RSI… all of it)
• Safety, fear of flying, and how “three to go, one to say no” keeps crews alive
• The experience you really need (spoiler: 3 years ER or ICU, not 47 certs)
• How to start in flight nursing now as a student: externships, ride-alongs, networking
• Why hopping between units might be holding you back from your dream job
• Mentorship, coaching, and dealing with the hidden trauma + burnout of caring for critical patients
• Pay, schedules, and what 24-hour shifts + living at the base actually look like
• Using your RN license as a tool, not your whole identity — and leaning into entrepreneurship as a nurse

If you’ve ever looked up at a helicopter and thought, “That could be me,” this episode is your sign to start making a plan instead of just daydreaming.

>>So You Want to Be a Flight Nurse? The No-BS Guide with Janessa Dean

Jump Ahead to Listen:

[00:01:13] Flight nursing coaching journey.
[00:04:25] Scene calls in flight nursing.
[00:08:40] Fear of flying in helicopters.
[00:11:26] Flight nurse experience requirements.
[00:13:09] Importance of networking in nursing.
[00:16:28] Burnout in healthcare professionals.
[00:21:25] Flight nursing training challenges.
[00:22:34] Critical care nursing pathways.
[00:27:00] Teamwork and camaraderie in nursing.
[00:30:04] Flight nursing reality show idea.
[00:32:33] Career changes in nursing.
[00:34:45] Be an entrepreneur as a nurse.

Connect with Colton on social media:
Instagram: @coltonalanlord, @club.nurse
TikTok: @nursecolton

Connect with Janessa Dean on social media:

Instagram: @janessadeancoaching
TikTok: @janessadeancoaching

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