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WMSE celebrates National Nurses' Week

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Leonetta Oliphant
  • Walson Medical Support Element
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  National Nurses' Week is celebrated annually from May 6-12 to celebrate the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

This year's National Nurses' Week theme, "Delivering Quality and Innovation in Patient Care, highlights registered nurses', licensed practical nurses', medics' and technicians' efforts to improve patient outcomes.

The week-long celebration began with a packed audience of distinguished guests, nurses, medics and techs at the opening ceremony May 6 at the 87th Medical Group building. I was among the speakers who included Col. James Burks, 87th MDG commander, Col. Jacqueline Allen, Walson Medical Support Element commander and Lt. Col. Vincent Kirkner, 87th MDG chief nurse, and myself, WMSE health services deputy commander.

I opened the ceremony by saying "this is the second year that Lt. Col. Kirkner and I have had the pleasure of civilian nurses working at both WMSE and the 87th MDG, Air Force nurses and techs and Army nurses and medics collaborate to make this nurses' week another memorable celebration."

The Joint Committee Members who planned and organized nurses' week activities were given no easy task. They did not have the luxury of planning many fundraisers. They would not let a challenge such as limited funds keep them from celebrating this year's nurses' week in a grand way.

The week long celebration was filled with dynamic guest speakers like university professor Dr. Tallier, wounded warrior Brain Adams, Sports Medicine Physician Maj. Kusienski, and Lourdes Medical Center's sponsored speaker Dorothea Atkins, registered nurse,. Other highlights of the week included back and hand massages, a zumba class and vendor displays.

The week ended with a barbecue at John Mann Park pavilion. Army and Air Force nurses gathered for fun filled activities such as karaoke, basketball and volleyball.
To all who contributed to the success of the nurses' week I would like to give you a heartfelt thank you.

Kirkner will be retiring at the end of May and I will be soon changing station. Let me offer some advice for National Nurses' Week 2014. The only improvement that can be made to the wonderful nurses' week activities that the Army and Air Force have hosted for the past two years is to engage other nurses, technicians, corpsman and medics from other units throughout JB MDL to participate in the planning and organization of the week's events. Only then, would JB MDL truly jointly celebrate National Nurses Week.