Commentary - Yokota celebrates Nurse, Medical Technician Week May 6-12 Published May 6, 2012 By 2nd Lt. Kristin Blouin 374th Surgical Operations Squadron YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- Every year, National Nurses Week focuses attention on the diverse ways America's 3.1 million nurses work to save lives and to improve the health of millions of individuals. In the military, registered nurses and other health professionals could not provide world class healthcare without the assistance of the highly skilled medical technicians working beside them. As healthcare professionals we advocate for quality customer service and foster global awareness about health in our community. Therefore, the Air Force and the 374th Medical Group expands National Nurse Week to include the professional military medical technicians. Our dynamic nursing service provides support for 261 infant deliveries, 50,699 inpatient and outpatient visits, and 6,243 telephone consults for 11,000 beneficiaries annually. Additionally, the staff maximizes skills of more than 20 specialties to ensure a medical readiness posture for the 374th AW, Fifth Air Force, U.S Forces, Japan, 10 geographically separated units and embassies, and expeditionary support for global contingency operations. The start of Nurse and Medical Technician Week is marked by the National Nurse Recognition Day, May 6, and ends on May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, founder of nursing as a modern profession. This year, our motto is "Advocating, Leading, and Caring". The motto captures the essence of modern nursing services. Military treatment facilities throughout the Air Force highlight the diverse ways in which nurses and technicians have impacted health care. During this week nurses and medical technicians at the 374th MDG will be honored by celebratory activities coordinated by the nurse and technician committee. We ask everyone to show appreciation for the outstanding care provided to them by their military nurses and technicians.