National Nurse Technician Appreciation Week

  • Published
  • By 341st Medical Group
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  On March 25, 1982, President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation making May 6 "National Recognition Day for Nurses." In 1990, the recognition was expanded to a weeklong celebration, declaring May 6-12, 1991, as the first National Nurses Week.

The 341st Medical Group kicked off this celebrated tradition of honoring the backbone of our health care system May 6 when Col. Ronald Allen, 341st Missile Wing commander, signed a proclamation declaring May 6-12 as Nurse and Medical Technician Appreciation Week at Malmstrom AFB. The American Nurses Association's theme for 2016 is "Culture of Safety Starts with YOU!"  Daily events will take place throughout the week, with the celebration culminating May 12 with an ice cream social commemorating Florence Nightingale's birthday.

The mission of the 341st MDG is a unique one. Supporting the 341st MW's personnel reliability and arming use of force standards while managing the health and well-being of approximately 10,000 beneficiaries can be challenging. This is a challenge that the men and women of the 341st MDG continue to rise to. 

When Master Sgt. Danielle Miranda, 341st MDG medical technician (4N) functional manager, was asked about the medical technicians at Malmstrom, she expressed her gratitude for their consistently hard work and dedication to mission success. "Our 4Ns are routinely faced with various challenges, from deploying as medics to revamping clinic processes; they always put their thinking caps on and hunker down until the job gets done. I couldn't be more proud of them." 

The 341st MDG's Chief Nurse, Lt. Col. Courtney Finkbeiner, shared in the praise of the medical staff at the Malmstrom clinic. "Our Air Force Medical Service has built a system of health care that can be effective anywhere in the world, in war and in peace, truly living up to its mantra 'Trusted Care, Anywhere.'  Trusted care is linked to our American high quality of care standards and we absolutely will not compromise on patient safety. 

"All of our nurses and medical technicians live by this theme 24/7, and we are always striving to improve as a highly reliable organization. I am proud to serve beside such a dedicated group of professionals," Finkbeiner continued.

Florence Nightingale 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" due to her spending long nights treating the wounded. Her writings would drive worldwide health care reform and lead to her establishing 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 Malmstrom Clinic this week and show appreciation to those that are working behind the scenes to ensure the 341st MW has combat-ready Airmen, ready to Assure...Deter...Strike!