Strengthening our Nurse Corps

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Lausanne Kinder
  • 944th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Members of the 944th Aeromedical Staging Squadron recently completed a week-long Nurse Leadership and Force Development course, here Aug. 24-28.

The course covered a myriad of topics from medical related to leadership essentials and team building.

The chief clinical nurse for 944th ASTS, Lt. Col. Debbie Davis, directed and facilitated the training. "My vision was to provide training opportunities to improve the nurses' leadership and officer skills," said Davis. "The focus of the week is on force development and leadership attributes. The week-long program gives us a chance to build our team relationships that often are pushed aside during the busy [Unit Training Assembly] weekends."

Capt. Julie Browne, 944th ASTS physician assistant, agreed. "This training gave us the opportunity to come together and collaborate with one another instead of working as individuals during the busy UTAs."
Although the training was geared more towards the nurse corps, Browne was able to take advantage of the opportunity to participate as a PA.

The training also included readiness skills verification, emergency burn management, aeromedical patient movement, team building exercises, defense travel system review, and blues uniform inspection.

"Our mission at the Aeromedical Staging Squadron is the transport of the injured and ill through intro-theater and theater operations," said Davis. "As the chief nurse, it is my responsibility to ensure that these nurses are skilled and prepared to lead and provide expert care in the field when called to do so."

Although this is only the second year the training has been held, Davis has high hopes of continuing it annually.

"The training was very successful and will definitely be repeated next year," said Davis. "We have collaborated with the active duty and invited them to participate with us next year; they are very open and excited about the opportunity to collaborate with us."