JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
National Nurses Week is May 6-12, 2016. The 779th Medical Group has many dedicated nurses and medical technicians who are committed to providing the highest quality medical care with kindness and compassion. Our next spotlight is on one of the newest nurses at our facility. She is on her first tour and has been at Joint Base Andrews for almost two years.
Lt. Jennifer Abelson is a registered nurse who works in the Internal Medicine Clinic at Malcolm Grow Medical Clinics and Surgery Center.
"My role is to provide health care for military members and their family. I work directly with an Internal Medicine provider. I triage patient phone calls and assist enrollees with medicine renewals, referrals and any questions they may have. When patients are diagnosed with diabetes, I help educate them about the disease. I also do simple procedures such as providing injections, EKGs, and caring for wound and urinary retention issues." said Abelson.
"The stories I hear from patients and helping those who have done so much for our country are what I enjoy most about being a nurse in the military. You never know what a patient is going through. Physically you may see their injury but mentally you may not," said Abelson.
Abelson is originally from Clarksville, Tenn. and had no experience with the military before entering the service. "My husband and son are what motivate and inspire me each day," she said.
Growing up, she watched her single mother struggle to care for three children, which stirred her to achieve a better life for herself. After a rough start in high school and a young son with autism to care for, she earned a General Equivalency Diploma and worked at the local dollar store. She quickly realized she would need further education to achieve her goals and provide for her son. She enrolled in college for graphic arts and subsequently married her husband.
While in school, her husband was in the Army and was injured in Iraq. Her mother-in- law was then diagnosed with cancer. These events made her realize her true calling was to be a nurse. She switched majors and entered a nursing program. Through the support of her husband, she was able to graduate from nursing school and earn a commission in the US Air Force as a registered nurse. She is now working on her master's degree in nursing.
"I find it very rewarding to give back to others, and I always treat everyone the way I would want to be treated," said Abelson.