Nurse and Medical Technician Appreciation Week begins

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jeff Shaffer
  • 341st Medical Operations Squadron
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  On March 25, 1982, President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation designating May 6 a “National Recognition Day for Nurses.” In 1990, the recognition was expanded to a week-long celebration, declaring May 6-12, 1991, as the first National Nurses Week.

The 341st Medical Group will kick off this celebrated tradition of honoring the backbone of our health care system with the signing of a proclamation by Col. Ron Allen, 341st Missile Wing commander, declaring May 6-12 as Nurse and Medical Technician appreciation week at Malmstrom Air Force Base. The American Nurses Association’s theme for 2017 is “Year of the Healthy Nurse!” There will be daily events throughout the week that nurses and medical technicians will participate in, with the celebration culminating May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday, with an ice cream social.

The 341st MDG directly supports the 341st Missile Wing’s Personnel Reliability Assurance Program. Ensuring compliance with these standards, while managing the health and well-being of approximately 10,000 beneficiaries can be challenging. When Tech. Sgt. Lakisha Mosley, 341st Medical Operations Squadron 4N functional manager, was asked about these challenges and how they impact the medical technicians at Malmstrom, she expressed her gratitude for their hard work and dedication to mission success.

“Our 4Ns provide care wherever and whenever needed,” Mosley said. “There are times when they are faced with demanding challenges to include deployments and improvements for their clinics; however, they always step up and ensure the mission gets accomplished.”

Maj. Luvenia Manning, 341st MDG deputy chief nurse, shared in the praise of the medical staff at the Malmstrom clinic.

“Serving in the Air Force as a nurse or medical technician is more than a calling, it is a way of life,” Manning said. “Our core values of integrity, service before self and excellence in all we do, serves as a foundation to give us the strength and courage to answer the call of duty anytime, anywhere. We provide the highest level of safe, effective and evidence-based care to our patient population. We are a team of dedicated health care professionals, ready and more than willing to support the mission and serve our country 24/7. Trusted care begins with each member of the Air Force Medical Service. I am honored to serve as a member of this elite health care team.”

Florence Nightingale, who is considered the founder of modern nursing, was once quoted as saying, “The very first requirement in a hospital is that it should do the sick no harm.” This mindset was evident throughout her life as she worked tirelessly to improve unsanitary conditions in her hospital. She became known as the “Lady with the Lamp” because she routinely spent long nights treating the wounded. Her writings would drive worldwide health care reform and lead to the establishment of the Nightingale Training School for Nurses in 1860.

It is this type of dedication to others that lives on in today’s nurses and technicians. Please take the time to come out to the medical group this week and show your appreciation to the nurses and medical technicians who are working behind the scenes to ensure the 341st MW has combat capable Airmen, that are ready to Assure… Deter… Strike!