Nurse, Medical Technician Appreciation Week celebrated

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  • By 341st Medical Group
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Col. Robert Stanley, 341st Missile Wing commander, signed a proclamation on May 3, which declared May 6 to 12 Nurse and Medical Technician Appreciation Week at Malmstrom Air Force Base.

According to the American Nurses Association, this year's theme for National Nurses Week is: "Delivering Quality and Innovation in Patient Care." Members of the 341st Medical Group, which includes 16 military, civilian and contract nurses, and 30 medical technicians kicked-off Nurse and Technician Appreciation Week on May 6 with a potluck breakfast and culminated their celebration today with a cake-cutting ceremony.

The mission of the 341st MDG is unique and differs from a traditional Military Treatment Facility. Its members support the 341st Missile Wing's nuclear mission by managing the health and well-being of approximately 10,000 enrollees. Master Sgt. Christina Zabel, 341st Medical Operations Squadron Family Health Clinic NCO in charge, says medical technicians at the clinic often function in non-traditional roles while deployed.

"Our 4N0s, [or] medics, get to deploy with the Army on some of their combat medic missions," she said. "The medical technicians are going out on convoys and saving lives."

With such an undertaking, it is important to highlight the caregivers and their accomplishments. The 341st MDG Chief Nurse, Lt. Col. Karee Jensen, has heralded the critical role medical technicians and nurses play in providing patient-centered medical care and expanded the integral medical team relationship throughout the patient care continuum during her time here.

"The nurses and medical technicians of the 341st MDG are top-notch, skilled professionals always striving to improve the quality of care and develop innovations to benefit our beneficiaries," Jensen said. "I am truly proud of all [of them] and am honored to serve with them."

According to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, the inspiration for National Nurses Week highlights the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, which is celebrated on May 12. The history of the nursing profession dates back to the 1850s when Florence Nightingale served as a nurse in the Crimean War. During this time, Nightingale assessed the need for scrutiny of unsanitary conditions in hospitals. Her work with the sanitary commission directly led to reduced death rates among the soldiers. Some of her accomplishments include, but are not limited to: health care reforms improving all sections of British society, the improvement of health care delivery, improved hunger relief in India and the expansion of acceptable forms of female participation in the workforce.

This week-long celebration raises awareness of the value of nursing and helps educate the public about the role nurses and technicians play in meeting the health care needs of the American people. Airmen are encouraged to thank their nurses and medical technicians throughout the year.