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Photo Information

Nurses from Robert M. Casey Medical and Dental Clinic, Iwakuni Clinical Care, JA Hiroshima General Hospital and Medical Hospital Iwakuni Byoin pose for a picture during a Nurse’s Week dinner social at the Club Iwakuni Ballroom aboard MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, May 11, 2015. Branch Health Clinic celebrated Nurse’s Week for the first time, May 6-13, aboard station. Throughout the week, nurses from BHC came together for a series of events to celebrate a week that recognizes the importance and hard work that they do.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Carlos Cruz Jr.

Nurses aboard MCAS Iwakuni celebrate Nurse’s Week

11 May 2015 | Lance Cpl. Carlos Cruz Jr. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan

The Robert M. Casey Medical and Dental Clinic celebrated Nurse’s Week, May 6-13, aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.

Throughout the week, nurses from the Branch Health Clinic came together for a series of events to celebrate a week that recognizes the importance and hard work that they do.

“This is the first time (MCAS Iwakuni) celebrated Nurse’s Week,” said Lt. Lisa Watts, clinical supervisor for immunizations at BHC. “We were trying to mimic Yokosuka’s weeklong celebration, because it’s a great way to build camaraderie and if they can do it, why can’t we?”

The week began with a poster presentation from Yokosuka Naval Base and the Blessing of the Hands ceremony where Chaplains poured oil over the nurse’s hands and then said a prayer.

The nurses continued their week with an ice cream social, free breakfast, bowling night, massages at the clinic and a cake cutting ceremony.

On May 11, nurses gathered for dinner at the Club Iwakuni Ballroom, for this event they also invited local Japanese nurses from Iwakuni Clinical Care, JA Hiroshima General Hospital and Medical Hospital Iwakuni Byoin.

Tomomi Kuroda, deputy of the nursing department at ICC, said this is her first time coming on base to do something like this adding that she had a great time and she wouldn’t mind coming back again.

Nurse’s Week originated in the U.S. but it’s not the only country that designates a day or week to recognize nurses, Japan celebrates the birthday of Florence Nightingale on May 12.

Florence Nightingale is known as the founder of modern nursing and became well-known during the Crimean War in Eastern Europe. Nightingale managed a group of nurses, who she trained, while also tending to wounded soldiers.

Watts said she’s glad BHC decided to invite Japanese nurses to join them, they had a great turn out and it helped strengthen friendships between the station and local community.

Watts is going to organize Nurse’s Week aboard station again next year and said she hopes it will become an annual event.