In praise of Army nurses
 

In praise of Army nurses
<!--title-->William Beaumont Army Medical Center to honor hundreds

<!--subtitle--><!--byline-->By Michael D. Hernandez / El Paso Times
<!--date-->Posted: 01/23/2009 12:00:00 AM MST
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FORT BLISS -- Even when Lt. Col Ann Marie Blunt steals away from her engrossing work at William Beaumont Army Medical Center to spend a few days with family, nursing is a constant companion.

"Altogether there are about eight of us who are nurses," she said of her siblings and cousins and the shop talk that always crops up whenever they come together. "That's a common denominator for our communication."

But Blunt would not have it any other way, and said caring for soldiers and military veterans offers a bounty of professional and emotional riches.

The hundreds of nurses who provide care to patients at Beaumont Army Medical Center will come together to celebrate another year of work during a luncheon Jan. 31 at the Fort Bliss Officers' Club, Building 250 on Club Road.

Retired nurses and the general public also are welcome to attend the event.

A subtler celebration will take place at Beaumont on Feb. 2 to commemorate the day in 1901 when Congress established a permanent Army Nurse Corps.
More than 600 nurses work at Beaumont Army Medical Center, with fewer than half serving as active-duty military, said Lt. Col. Rhonda Newsome,
who joined the Army 19 years ago for the chance to travel and help others.


Newsome said technological advances in medicine in the past two decades have reshaped the role nurses play, allowing them to take on more responsibilities from physicians.

Capt. Tom Chenowith said the Army paid for his schooling, and two tours in Iraq have provided him with the kind of insight and practice that few others in his profession have seen.
"The military has offered a lot to me," Chenowith said. "I get to
http://www.patriotfiles.com/forum/imgcache/11356.png 1st Lt. Holly Polka, an Army nurse, put information into a computer on patient Amanda Beachy in the labor and delivery area at William Beaumont on Wednesday. At top right is Beachy's husband, Jared Beachy.



go to conferences and to travel and the educational aspect of it cannot be beat."


Capt. Kristin Jauregui said serving as an Army nurse allows for a variety of career paths. She worked for about 20 months as an instructor to other nurses, has been deployed to Iraq and is readying for another stint of nursing education.

Jauregui added that she has worked in civilian facilities and has found that serving as an Army nurse offers a more communal experience.

"We are more autonomous as a nurse here and I think we have a better relationship with our physicians," she said.

And the experience nurses gain from a deployment can carry them far in the medical field, said Capt. James Kilbourn.

"Once somebody knows that you have served in that kind of environment, people are very eager for you to work for them," he said. "My deployment was a great opportunity and one of the things I love about the military is that we treat everyone identically. You get the same treatment whether you are a private or a general."

Michael D. Hernandez may be reached at mhernandez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6151.
Make plans
What: Army Nurse Corps 108th Anniversary Luncheon.
When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 31.
Where: Fort Bliss Officers' Club, Building 250 on Club Road.
How much: $16.
RSVP is required; call Lt. Col. Rhonda Newsome, 569-1255.


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