After more than 20 years in the nursing field, Cynthia (Cindy) Lehman ‘02 reflects on how a series of pushes from the people around her led to a successful career not only in medicine but also as a flight nurse.
When Cynthia (Cindy) Lehman ‘02 graduated from high school, her mother already knew what career she would go into: nursing. Lehman wasn’t entirely convinced, but since she was still figuring out what to study in college, she enrolled in York College of Pennsylvania in hopes of sparking her interest and passion. When two years had gone by, she hadn’t found it and started to consider other careers.
That all changed when, on a drive back from her parents’ house, Lehman and her sister came across a car accident.
“We were going to the movies, and we came upon a really bad car accident that [had] multiple patients,” Lehman said. “An aircraft had landed to transport one of the patients, and I remember just being there and helping. I actually got asked to go with the ambulance to continue CPR.”
The experience had a deep impact on her, especially in how she applied her first-aid knowledge in a real-world situation. Lehman found her calling in nursing, and although she spent many years helping patients on the ground, she never forgot how the healthcare professionals at the accident scene could continue administering aid from the skies.
Currently, Lehman is in her 24th year as a registered nurse and her 15th year as a Pre-Hospital Registered Nurse (PHRN) certified in Pennsylvania. And now, she has worked as a full-time flight nurse for STAT MedEvac for the past two years, taking her experience and knowledge to new heights that even she never thought she could reach.
Nursing Roots in York College
Born and raised in southern York County, Lehman spent much time at her parents’ farm in Glen Rock and graduated from Dallastown Area High School’s Class of 1997. Following her graduation, she took a gap year to consider her next steps.
At her mother’s encouragement, Lehman explored potential nursing programs, ultimately deciding on York College. The College was an easy commute from her home, and it would allow her to keep working around her college and work schedule. Her sister was also an alumna of York College, having graduated from their undergraduate Class of 1999 and master’s program in 2019.
“It was very affordable, and there was a lot of flexibility with York College, attending classes, and still being able to work, which I really enjoyed,” Lehman said.
York College’s Nursing program gave Lehman the knowledge to treat patients and handle critical situations and taught her to see beyond her charts. Her time completing her nurse practicum as a nurse extern at WellSpan York Hospital played a pivotal role in shaping her understanding that being a good nurse goes beyond meeting patients' physical needs.
The experience was made even more special when she learned that her mother wanted Lehman to go into nursing because her own grandmother had been a nurse. Also, at Lehman’s pinning ceremony, her grandfather, whose own mother had been a nurse, was the one to pin her.
“I feel like I was prepared to come into the world, not only as a nurse, but as a human being,” Lehman said.
Inspiration to Go Above and Beyond
After graduating with her Nursing degree in 2002, Lehman began working as a med-surg nurse. She would go on to do agency work in an ICU for about two years and then spend 10 years in an ER trauma unit. From there, she went into critical care and then critical care transport.
During one shift, she worked alongside a full-time flight nurse, who noticed her skills and composure in patient care. The flight nurse asked if Lehman might consider taking her experience to the next step. After the many pushes she received, Lehman knew better than to ignore another opportunity to pursue an important calling.
So, with the support of the flight nurse she connected with, Lehman took the necessary courses and earned her PHRN certification to provide medical care before an ambulance or aircraft arrives at the hospital. Lehman then flew for another health system for five years before joining the STAT MedEvac team in 2024. To enhance her experience in flight nursing, she also worked part-time for nine years as a paramedic for the City of Bethlehem.
“I’m very thankful that I have met people along the way to help guide me in the direction of where I’ve gotten, including my mom, who said I should be a nurse,” Lehman said. “[...] Including that person who suggested this, [and] the people who appointed me in the right direction to get to where I am.”
Life in the Skies
Medical flight teams are assigned bases and crews, typically consisting of a pilot, a flight nurse, and a flight paramedic. Shifts can last up to 24 hours and involve crew changes and base duties. Once they are all prepped, the team waits for a transport call.
“Somebody may present to an emergency room, and they need a specialty service that’s not available at that hospital,” Lehman said. “So, we would fly them from that hospital to a receiving hospital where specialty care is available.”
They are also available for scene calls involving traumatic injuries or medical events. The flight team can be called for specialty service needs, including pediatric, burn, and trauma cases. This includes time-sensitive events where a drive may take too long to transport a patient to the service they need.
Lehman quickly discovered that this is exactly the kind of work she enjoys the most. Being able to take that dedication beyond the hospital bedside and serve as the link between hospitals, ambulances, and aircraft is a role she takes great pride in fulfilling. Even with the physical and mental labor the job requires, she loves the rush of relying on a partner and her skills, and taking on the constant challenges, training, and learning to become the best flight nurse she can be.
“When the tones go off, you don’t know what you’re going for, so there is a very large realm of things I have to be very competent in,” Lehman said. “So, I like that I don’t know what I’m for until we accept the flight because it could be something different every day.”
A Labor of Love
Because of how demanding the position can be, Lehman understands it is not for the faint of heart. The job requires constant movement, but on days when downtime needs to be filled, it can be a challenge for nurses not to let the weight of the work make them complacent and jaded.
Lehman recognized this early on and found the best way to combat it was to keep herself busy. Whether it's picking up open shifts at other bases or checking in on her coworkers, she knows the importance of surrounding herself with others and debriefing after tough calls.
“Overall, in nursing, I feel like it’s a very hard job,” she said. “It’s the hardest job. It’s harder now than it’s ever been. There’s constant scrutiny, [and] at the end of the day, bad things happen to people that we can’t fix. So, I feel like very early on in life, you have to learn how to adapt to that. Also, how to accept that, [and] how to support each other in that.”
One of the most important aspects of being a nurse in any capacity is remembering to be compassionate and acknowledge the humanity of patients. Showing empathy for the people being cared for is critical to providing them with the necessary care, whether it’s a quick examination or a serious emergency.
Lehman knows that treating patients as if they were another case to take care of before moving on to the next is not the kind of health professional she wants to be. With every call she takes, regardless of what happened on a previous case, she wants the patient and their family members to know that she is doing everything she can for them and that they are not alone. She is putting 100% into her care so that they have confidence in her abilities and dedication to them.
“I think those are very important things because I think a lot of what we do is the patient’s worst day,” Lehman said. “And so just to interact with them in a little bit of time, giving them the most trust in me and being compassionate and empathetic, and even just squeezing their hand or making eye contact or letting them say that they’re scared or knowing that I’m there to take care of them is really important to me.”
Not Being Afraid to Pivot
It is Lehman’s belief that nursing is a team-centered profession built on humility. There is no greater calling than working with other medical professionals to care for patients at their worst.
But reaching that position, especially as a flight nurse, can be a long road with work that is just as demanding, which shouldn’t be taken for granted. It requires extensive work experience, certifications, and ongoing training that pushes nurses to a high level of excellence they must constantly uphold. Lehman understood this and ensured that she surrounded herself with mentors and support that encouraged her to keep moving forward and do her best.
“I have been very fortunate to have been around people who have been very positive in my career,” she said. “I remember being a nurse extern at York Hospital and working with a nurse who I thought was an exceptional nurse. She told me very early on, ‘You will encounter very good people in life, [...] and if you want to be a good nurse, you find someone that you want to emulate and be like, and you do whatever you have to do in your career.’”
Every step of the way, Lehman found people to cheer her on and help her realize the full potential of her skills. In the beginning, it was simply her mother encouraging her not to give up on nursing, and then her professors and mentors she connected with during her time at York College and interning at the hospital. Now, it is her fiancé, who is a pilot for STAT MedEvac, her five children, and the staff at her STAT MedEvac base who keep her grounded in her work, help her continue to grow, and inspire her to do the best she can for every patient she treats for as long as she can.
York College continues to instill the same drive in students through the Nursing program while supporting them through their nursing journeys. Lehman was adamant that her education was vital to instilling in her the compassion and empathy needed for the work she is doing now, and she advises students to remember that it is okay to change their goals.
STAT MedEvac has provided countless opportunities for Lehman to flourish and find her success. Lehman never expected her life to take her in the direction it did, but now, more than two decades later, as an experienced nurse, she has found a job that she is passionate about and brings her joy. She is exactly where she wants to be, and thanks to the pushes from her support systems, she has discovered a new dream that she hopes others will find on their career journeys.
“One of the great things about nursing is that there are so many different paths you can take,” Lehman said. “Your career can evolve right along with you. If you’re looking for a new challenge, a different schedule, or an opportunity to learn and grow, those possibilities are out there. Don't be afraid to explore them. You never know where that next step might lead, and it could end up being exactly where you're meant to be.”
