ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
Rebecca M. Patton, American Nurses Association president, visited the 79th Aeromedical Staging Flight here June 8, as part of an all-day immersion in federal nursing in the National Capital Region.
Hosted by Col. John S. Murray, Strategic Planning director, Office of Integration and president of the Federal Nurses Association, Ms. Patton was given a tour of the facility and briefed on the various stages of patient movement and tracking from overseas to Andrews.
Maj. Pamela D. Petree, 79th ASF clinical operations manager and nurse, led the tour of the ASF while explaining both similarities and minor differences between military and civilian nursing.
Clinical terms for treatment are the same for the most part, said Major Petree. But oftentimes, the injuries are different.
"Because of the war, naturally we see different types of injures than you might see as a civilian nurse," she said.
Afterward, Capt. Myrna L. Spencer, a clinical care nurse, 79th MDOS, Special Care Flight, conducted a demonstration of the equipment used by the Critical Care Air Transport Team to transport critically ill or injured patients.
Ms. Patton was provided with an opportunity to see how patients are maintained on life support while traveling aboard an aircraft.
The CCAT team is made up of a respiratory specialist technician, a critical care nurse and anesthesiologist, said Captain Spencer.
"The same three people always work together as a team," she said.
Captain Spencer and her team shared with Ms. Patton that with advanced technology, more patients from the war zone are being saved because of the faster rate at which they are transported back to the U.S. for higher levels of care. They also explained that patients can be transported as quickly as 72 hours from time of injury, back to the United States from overseas.
Ms. Patton wrapped up her tour with a trip to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, and National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md.