After nearly 45 years of service, Marcy Dawson is ready to hang up her flight suit—but not her passion for helping others. The North Dakota-based nurse, paramedic, educator, and mentor is the Nurse of the Week for her decades of exceptional service in emergency medicine and unwavering commitment to patients in their most critical moments.
From the ground to the skies, Dawson’s career took off—literally. She began her career as a young nurse at a small hospital in Elgin, North Dakota, where early emergency calls left her feeling uncertain. Determined to grow, she took an EMT course, which changed the trajectory of her life.
“It was like the adrenaline got me. I started volunteering for the local ambulance and wanted to learn more,” Dawson said. “And then, it became my goal to be a flight nurse.”
She didn’t just achieve that goal—she soared beyond it. Over the next two decades, Dawson served as a paramedic and flight nurse, responding to a wide range of emergencies, including heart attacks, strokes, and preterm labor cases.
“It’s not just heart attacks. It’s not just strokes. You see young kids, you see adults. So, you never know. It’s a variety,” she said.
Unlike the hospital setting, where physicians are always nearby, flight nursing demands autonomy and critical thinking under intense pressure—something Dawson mastered.
“When you’re flying with patients, we have to make those decisions,” she explained.
After taking time off to raise her children, Dawson returned to the skies, reigniting her passion for flight nursing and eventually becoming the Chief Flight Nurse in Bismarck. She later stepped into a new role as Sanford Health’s AirMed Outreach Specialist, where she educated rural ambulance teams and continued her legacy of lifesaving work by mentoring the next generation of healthcare professionals.
Even in retirement, her drive to serve remains strong.
“I’m proud of what I’ve done. I’m proud to be a part of that, to be with those patients and care for them. But, I’m ready to let go with my retirement, to let the younger generation take over,” Dawson said.
Dawson plans to retire on July 25, with Sanford Health hosting a celebration in her honor on July 19. Though she’s stepping back from frontline care, she intends to stay active in education and ministry work.
We honor Marcy Dawson as the Nurse of the Week for her extraordinary commitment to rural health, emergency medicine, and flight nursing. Her career has not only saved lives but also inspired countless others to take flight in their nursing journeys.
Nominate a Nurse of the Week! Every Wednesday, DailyNurse.com features a nurse making a difference in the lives of their patients, students, and colleagues. We encourage you to nominate a nurse who has impacted your life as the next Nurse of the Week, and we’ll feature them online and in our weekly newsletter.
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