Rose Sieman

Based in Oklahoma, Rose Sieman is a Flight Nurse for Air Evac Lifeteam (AEL), a member of the Global Medical Response family. She has been in the emergency medical services (EMS) field for the past 15 years, yet what drew her to EMS all started in a corral.

Imagine a spirited cowgirl astride a dapple gray somewhere in the midwestern plains. That was Rose once upon a time. The first job she had was breaking horses. It was a role that instilled resilience and calm under pressure; a good lead into her love for EMS.

Despite having found purpose in helping others when she transitioned into nursing, Rose quickly realized she missed the outdoors. This epiphany became a pivotal moment in her career but didn’t quite manifest until October 2015 when the Oklahoma State University-Stillwater homecoming crash occurred.

Students and sports fans alike lined the campus streets to watch the homecoming parade. Suddenly, a sedan barreled into the cheering crowd, killing four people and injuring 47 others. Rose was working in the Stillwater ER when this happened, and it became an all-hands-on-deck, mass-casualty incident she wouldn’t soon forget.

That day—among other occasions—Rose watched in awe as helicopters descended from the sky. Their crews rushed in from the helipad and emerged from the elevator doors, ready to transport patients in critical condition. It was then she knew that becoming a flight nurse was her lifelong goal.

However, like most people in their careers, there was some trepidation at first and time spent finding oneself before that goal would be reached, and that’s okay! Rose did begin flying but, a few years ago, took a brief hiatus to remind herself this is what she truly wanted. She went back to the ER and knew for certainty then: she just had to trade the walls of a hospital for wings and rotors. Fortunately, her dream became possible once more, and this time, she never looked back.

Rose returned to HEMS and joined Air Evac. She’s since had the opportunity to train others as well as function as a base clinical lead. And much like getting a horse accustomed to the saddle, her unique experiences have been invaluable as a mentor to new flight clinicians.

“For new people coming into this career, and EMS in general, my advice would be to try to learn something from everyone you encounter. Whether it be your partner, preceptor, educator or peers, always try to take something away from them and put it into practice. Never stop doing this and never stop learning, because EMS is ever-changing and growing and we owe it to our patients to constantly try to better ourselves as clinicians.”