Vandenberg recognizes National Nurses/Tech Week

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Judy Gavin
  • 30th Medical Group
National Nurses Week, May 6-12, is a special time for nurses and nursing personnel around the country and throughout the Air Force. 

This time of year is doubly important to nurses because it not only celebrates the profession of nursing, but also coincides with the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. Most nurses believe that without Florence Nightingale, nursing would not be the viable profession it is today. 

Nursing has been considered a profession since 1896. In 1953 a proposal was made to recognize nurses via a "National Nurses Week"; however the idea was dismissed. Then in 1974, almost 20 years later, President Richard Nixon formally proclaimed National Nurses Week, and it has been recognized and celebrated ever since. 

There are now more than 2.4 million registered nurses in the United States (92 percent of them are women) and 531,000 licensed vocational nurses (LVN's). The Air Force Nurse Corps has 3,281 registered nurses. Of these, 29.4 percent (966) are male and 70.6 percent (2,315) are female. In addition, the AF has 9,481 enlisted members in the medical career field who work side by side with our professional nurses providing quality care. 

In the Air Force, there is a tradition of celebrating the careers of both professional nurses and technicians. During the week of May 5-12, the 30th Medical Group we will be celebrating Nurse/Technician week to recognize the hard work and dedication of the nursing staff. This will be a time to thank these Airmen for their work in taking care of the health care needs of all military beneficiaries at Vandenberg.