Air Force recognizes nurses and medical technicians

by Airman 1st Class Michael Cossaboom
20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

5/12/2015 - SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C.  -- Running from May 6-12, nurses and medical technicians throughout the Air Force were recognized for the care they provide to Service members and their families.

The theme of the week "Ethical Practice and Quality Care," serves as a platform to celebrate the ways nurses and medical technicians provide safe, efficient, and high quality healthcare to their customers.

The Air Force has approximately 3,000 nurses and 5,000 medical technicians charged with maintaining the well-being and health of approximately 2.6 million beneficiaries worldwide.

"Nurses and technicians provide cross-functional collaboration to improve patient care delivery," said Lt. Col. Heather Perez, 20th Medical Group chief nurse. "They assess individual's and the population's health needs through collecting, recording, and analyzing health data from nursing history, physical examinations, preventative health assessments and other sources."

Nurses and medical technicians can serve in a multitude of medical areas such as ambulance services, family health, pediatrics, flight medicine, and intensive care units.

"As nurses and techs, we have to be versatile," said Debra Green, 20th Medical Operations Squadron pediatrics nurse. "You never know when you'll have to fill another nurse's or tech's position, so we have to be capable of performing various tasks."

Providing care for Service members and their family's is an important aspect of their mission, and the skills they are able to provide in a deployed environment are equally as imperative.

"Air Force nurses and medical technicians play a tremendous role in the defense of our nation," said Perez. "Both work aeromedical evacuation with a 98% patient survivability rate from combat wounds, transporting patients from the battlefield to advanced treatment both in Europe and the U.S."

Nurses and medical technicians across the Air Force are charged with keeping Service members healthy and fit so that they can continue to fly, fight, and win.

"The cost-effective, safe and quality healthcare services Air Force nurses and technicians provide is a critical component of the U.S. Military Health System and will continue to be so as we forge our way into a healthier, stronger future," said Perez.