Military nurses have an unwavering commitment to advancing our health and wellness to ensure that every service member is fit to fight, that our medical teams are trained and ready, and that our families receive the care they deserve. This week, we honor the strength and dedication of the extraordinary professionals who serve both our country and warfighters with unwavering courage. Whether they are on the frontlines, in field hospitals or at military medical centers around the world, their commitment to care under the most challenging conditions inspires us all.

The power of nurses

Nurses are a powerful force for many reasons. They advocate for their patients, they take on multiple roles to deliver care, and they break barriers to work across disciplines and teams—always keeping the patient front and center.

Roughly 30 million people around the world—including our active duty service members of all ranks, National Guard and Reserve members, civilians and contractors—dedicate their lives to nursing. Just over 17,000 nurses, military and civilian, serve every day across the globe in our military health system. Even after decades of serving as a nurse myself, I am still inspired by their resilience, depth of knowledge, and steadfast commitment to advancing the health of others.

Nurses advocate for their patients

One of the many ways nurses support our health is by constantly advocating for patients. Whether they are talking to a new Marine who has questions about her medications or is struggling to make an appointment, or a veteran who needs a compassionate ear to talk through his diagnosis that he may not fully understand, nurses keep our best interest at heart and calmly guide us through often difficult and uncharted territory.

One such nurse is Bianca Rodriguez, a breast nurse navigator at Brooke Army Medical Center. She arranges surgery, acts as a go-between for the patient and his or her provider, and helps to arrange transportation to and from appointments.

Nurses like Rodriguez support each and every one of us with compassionate care from the moment we arrive at a healthcare facility, to the moment we leave and during recovery. They heal not only physical wounds but can build trust to mend internal, personal challenges that often remain hidden from the outside world.

Nurses care for patients through multiple roles

Nurses all around the world serve many different roles, both in and outside of health care. In addition to patient care and clinical roles they also serve in research labs and classrooms as educators and mentors, evaluate data to improve patient care systems, and lead the optimization of the Defense Health Agency.

With their expertise and knowledge, nurses often respond to emergencies when they are least expected. In April, U.S. Army Maj. Joshua Goldberg, the Department of Education chief at Evans Army Community Hospital, with the help of his wife, Kaylanda Pinkerton, the chief nurse for the Mountain Post Birthing Center, was recognized with the Soldier’s Medal for heroism during a crisis. When gunshots rang out near their son’s football game, they immediately sprang into action. They rushed to the parking lot where they found a victim with multiple gunshot wounds. Without hesitation, Goldberg immediately began CPR until the paramedics arrived. This is just one example that shows the readiness of our nurses to act in the interest of others at a moment’s notice.

Nurses wield an inspirational power to collaborate

When I joined the United States Public Health Service, one of the first things I noticed was the unique power of nurses to collaborate across disciplines. It’s truly an art. Transcending traditional boundary, nurses will stop at nothing to ensure patients receive the utmost care when they need it.

I saw this firsthand last month when I visited military hospitals and clinics in Japan. There, supply chains face lengthy logistical hurdles, with the procurement of medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and equipment requiring more extensive lead time compared to stateside facilities. What struck me most during my visit was the team's collaboration to overcome these challenges. Not only have the medical staff within the military hospitals and clinics successfully built relationships within the Japanese healthcare system, but they also work with U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Army medical personnel to provide seamless care. This collaboration led to partnerships between the joint neonatal intensive care unit operations and related evacuations between the United States Naval Hospital Okinawa-Japan and the Naval Hospital Yokosuka.

I am not the only one who noticed the team’s innovation and collaboration; the hospitals’ compassionate and innovative nurses received a DAISY Award—an internationally recognized professional award that celebrates nurses who have made profound differences in the lives of others.

Lean-in with thought and curiosity, and do not be shy

We are in a dynamic moment in history. With lessons-learned from deployments domestically and internationally, new artificial intelligence tools to deliver optimized health care, and an ever-changing digital landscape streamlining our processes, we have an opportunity to lean-in with thought and curiosity. To my fellow nurses: Do not be shy. Even in times of uncertainty, situations that may seem uncomfortable are not designed to frustrate us; they are designed to help us grow.

Our shared responsibility to support the warfighter has never been more critical. From providing care in the Pacific Northwest to the most remote regions of the Indo-Pacific, our responsibility to support, strengthen, and sustain our warfighters’ health and readiness to fight knows no boundaries. We must remain ready to act and continue to provide the highest-quality care whenever and wherever we are needed.

One of our goals as nurses is to create a world where good health is in the reach of every person. By building on the core power of patient advocacy, unwavering care, and collaboration engrained in our craft by those who came before us, I am confident that we will reach our goal.

To all nurses and their families around the world, thank you.

(Editor’s Note: Susan Orsega is a career nurse and retired U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps rear admiral. She began her career with the USPHS in 1989 and has deployed to numerous health emergencies and humanitarian missions across the United States and abroad. From 2016 to 2019, she served as chief nurse officer for the USPHS and then as the Commissioned Corps director from 2019 to 2021. In 2021, she served as the acting U.S. Surgeon General until March and then became the senior advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Health. She is a graduate of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences School of Nursing.)