Clinic celebrates nurses’ positive impact, contributions

Naval Health Clinic Corpus Christi hosted a cake-cutting on May 11, to commemorate the 110th birthday of the Navy Nurse Corps, followed by a special ceremony known as the Blessing of the Hands.

The traditional events were held in conjunction with National Nurses Week that began on National Nurses Day, May 6, and culminated Saturday, May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, who is widely known as the founder of modern nursing.

NHC Corpus Christi senior nurse sent a message to the command’s military and civilian nurses.

“This week we celebrate and honor the positive impact that nurses have on patients and health care delivery,” said Capt. Kimberly Taylor, also interim executive officer. “I want to thank each one of you for choosing to be a part of this amazing profession! In all capacities and in every venue, you continue to remain dedicated to uphold the highest level of quality care. I look forward to seeing all that you will do this year to inspire, innovate, and influence!”

One nurse at NHC Corpus Christi owes her vocation to the influence of Nurse Corps officers.

“I enlisted into the U.S. Navy in 1999, and started my naval career as a hospital corpsman. It was during that time caring for wounded warriors that I knew I wanted to become a Navy Nurse Corps officer,” said Lt. Natalie Ann Claypool, from Glenford, Ohio.“I was so impressed by the blend of leadership and compassion I witnessed in Nurse Corps officers that I knew I wanted to be part of their corps.”

In 2005, Claypool was selected for the Medical Enlisted Commissioning Program to pursue her nursing degree. Three years later, she graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from San Diego State University. She now serves as department head, Healthcare Business.

The Nurse Corps was founded May 13, 1908. By October of that year, the first nurses, later called “The Sacred Twenty,” reported for duty at the Naval Medical School Hospital, Washington, D.C., now the home of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.

Today, more than 4,000 active duty and Reserve Navy nurses representing more than 17 different specialties serve with both the Navy and the Marine Corps throughout the world, providing exemplary care to Sailors, Marines and their families, from the garrison to the deck plates and to the battlefield.

According to Navy Medicine, 200 new nurses enter into the Navy Nurse Corps annually, and Claypool has some good advice for interested Sailors and Marines.

“Maintain strong academics, especially in the sciences. Be of exemplary moral character, and excel in your primary job while getting involved with your command,” said Claypool. “Find a good Nurse Corps officer to be your mentor.

“Lastly, be sure to have multiple people scrutinize your commissioning package for accuracy. If you don’t get selected for a commission on your first attempt--keep applying, don’t give up, and work hard. Being a Nurse Corps officer is one of the most rewarding opportunities someone may have in his or her lifetime.”