JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, TX –
The U.S. Army Nurse Corps celebrated 115 years of service
and dedication to caring for America’s military Feb. 5 and have stood shoulder
to shoulder with Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, both active duty
and retired, and their families to protect and preserve those who wear the
cloth of our nation.
The Army Nurse Corps is the oldest military nursing corps in
the United States and the first women’s component in the armed forces.
Throughout its history, Army nurses have demonstrated the courage to care,
connect and change, earning the respect and gratitude of the American people.
The mission of the Army Nurse Corps is to provide
responsive, innovative and evidence-based nursing care integrated within the
Army Medicine Team to enhance readiness, preserve life and function and promote
health and wellness for all entrusted to their care.
In order to meet this mission, the Army Nurse Corps
continues to expand its roles in support of the nation’s healthcare needs and
adapt to the demands of a transforming Army.
The Nurse Corps boasts a long and illustrious history,
becoming part of the Army
Medical Department in 1901 when the Army Reorganization Act
was passed into law. In 1906, the San Francisco earthquake sent Army nurses on
their first of many civil relief missions. During World War I, Army nurses
served in base, evacuation and mobile surgical hospitals around the globe, as well
as on hospital trains in France and transport ships carrying the wounded across
the Atlantic.
This began nurses’ involvement in the en-route care of
wounded Soldiers. By WWII, Army nurses were involved in developing the concept
of post-operative recovery wards in Europe and in providing airborne en-route
care from combat zones aboard fixed-wing aircraft.
During America’s involvement in Korea and Vietnam, Army
nurses advanced their practice through trauma care specialization, including
triage and resuscitative services. They also supported helicopter ambulance
transportation from battle locations.
The Army Nurse Corps has served in every major conflict in
which the United States has taken part for the past 114 years. Today, the brave
men and women who comprise the Army Nurse Corps team serve as a critical factor
in the outcome of the health of our service members and their families.http://armynursecorps/
They will continue to propel their critical skill sets
forward as both the Army and Army Medicine transform from a healthcare system
to a system for health.
For more information, visit the Army Nurse Corps web page
at: http://armynursecorps.