Former Marine Set to Take Off as a Flight Nurse
After serving in the United States Marine Corps, Samuel Flood turned to Widener’s nursing program to prepare his dream career of flight nursing for take off.
- School of Nursing
Samuel Flood ’27 is always looking to challenge himself.
Before earning his scrubs as an undergraduate nursing student at Widener, Flood donned a military uniform as a member of the United States Marine Corps.
“I really wanted to challenge myself and explore some real personal growth,” said Flood.
When his service came to an end, Flood sought a career that would build on that personal growth and fulfill his passion for service and medicine. The Pennsylvania-native turned to Widener’s nursing program where he found financial support geared toward servicemembers, guidance from faculty, and meaningful student-led organizations to help his dream career to take flight.
Flood spent four years in the USMC infantry where he exceled as a specialized anti-tank missile gunner. While in uniform he saw two deployments; first in Japan followed by a Marine Expeditionary Unit on a naval warship in a fleet based in the Mediterranean with a brief stint outside of Ukraine shortly after Russia invaded in 2022.
Serving with the USMC taught Flood the power of leadership, collaboration, and composure in times of high stress. When his time in the service finished, Flood transferred those skills to work as a certifited EMT made possible by a skill-bridge program designed to prepare servicemembers for a civilian life career. That experience unlocked Flood’s love of medicine and ultimately led him to Widener’s nursing program.
When I was on the ambulance I never had more fun doing anything in my whole life. I just loved practicing medicine.”
It wouldn’t be long before new connections and experiences in Widener’s nursing program would begin to shape Flood’s future career.
In addition to its powerhouse STEM programming, Flood found that Widener, which has a proud history as the former Pennsylvania Military College, holds a deep commitment to supporting military students and their families.
Flood enrolled at Widener as part of Post 9/11 GI Bill, a federal benefit that offers financial support such as a living allowance and money for books for veterans with active-duty service after September 11, 2001.
“It really helps that Widener is a Yellow Ribbon school,” said Flood, adding, “which means that whatever the GI Bill doesn’t cover Widener will forgive which is great.”
That military aid was key to Flood taking off toward a career as a flight nurse.
Flight nursing was first introduced to Flood by way of a friend who worked in that role with the United States Navy. The job description not only presented Flood with his next challenge, but came with options in the job market.
“I could work in different places with that degree; I could work for a hospital or private contracting,” said Flood.
With a career in sight Flood enrolled in Widener’s nationally-ranked nursing program with a clear focus on achieving academic excellence and gaining the clinical experience at leading hospitals and healthcare systems in the region.
“I plan to get my bachelor’s as soon as I can, work in a hospital for a few years, then I can get into the nitty gritty of flight nursing and practice trauma care which is exactly what I want to do,” said Flood.
While in his first year of the program, Flood connected with an adjunct faculty member who worked as a full-time flight nurse. That unexpected connection led to an inside look at a medical flight program and a deeper passion for the highly specialized field.
Outside of class, Flood is president of Widener’s chapter of the American Association for Men in Nursing. The student-led organization is committed to advancing men’s health and increasing male nurses in the field. Since the chapter’s launch in 2012, the group has focused on building its membership through hands-on learning and community engagement opportunities.
According to Flood, his role as president introduced new opportunities to broaden his leadership experience and personal network.
It has shown me many of the differences in leading civilian students as opposed to my Marines. It has also opened the door to several faculty connections that have improved my knowledge and widened my network."
In the fall 2024 Flood helped organize a series of events to engage not only nursing students, but students in programs across campus. From breast cancer and Alzheimer’s research awareness campaigns to a bleed control workshop, Flood is finding opportunities to learn through purposeful engagement.
“These events that I've had the privilege to organize have given me perspective on how to relate to large groups of people, how to motivate people to get involved, and how to manage events like this with all their moving pieces,” said Flood.
