Misawa celebrates Nurse/Technician Appreciation Week Published May 11, 2009 By Lt. Col. Margaret Walsh 35th Medical Group chief executive nurse MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Beginning May 11, the 35th Medical Group starts a week-long celebration to recognize its nursing and medical technicians. The Nurse/Technician Appreciation Week kicks off with a breakfast followed by a variety of other social and fun events. Throughout the week, this compassionate and highly skilled group of medical professionals who provide care to servicemembers and their families will be honored. Annually, the nation's nurses are recognized during the week surrounding the birthday of Florence Nightingale, founder of nursing as a profession, May 12. The purpose of the celebrations is to raise awareness of the value of nursing and help educate the public about the role nurses play in meeting the medical and healthcare needs of the public. Nurses and medical technicians are a vital part of the military health care team. The Air Force includes the recognition of medical technicians in the week long observance. "Our enlisted medical technicians are critical to the overall success of our total nursing force," said Maj. Gen. Kimberly Siniscalchi, assistant Air Force Surgeon General, Nursing Services, Office of the Surgeon General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Bolling Air Force Base, Washington D.C. "Our need for highly skilled clinicians continues to rise and we are committed to training and developing enlisted clinical leaders." Being a nurse or an aerospace medical technician is a very rewarding job, especially when a person being cared for is able to walk away smiling. At times people go home, recover, and they never think twice about the personnel who provided care. Even nurses and medical technicians can become buried in their daily tasks of patient care and medical records as they deliver superior care and build competency and currency to fulfill their deployed and in-garrison missions. Nursing and medical technicians often have a thankless job with multiple tasks so it is a perfect time for the community to thank our wonderful nurses and medical technicians here at Misawa.