It is an exciting time for nursing!
On Friday, April 21, 2017, Rear Adm. Sylvia Trent-Adams, became one of the first nurses to serve as Surgeon General of the United States.
Trent-Adams was a nurse officer in the Army and also served as a cancer research nurse at the University of Maryland. In 1992, she joined the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service and was the deputy associate administrator for the HIV/AIDS bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration. In November of 2013, Trent-Adams joined the office of the Surgeon General as the 10th chief nurse officer of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS).
I look forward to seeing Trent-Adams’ impact on public health. Based on what I’m learning from her
biography and her quotes in the articles below, I believe her nursing background will positively influence her decisions and actions.
In a
2014 Profile in American Journal of Nursing, Trent-Adams is quoted as stating:
“Nurses bring common sense to solving problems, which has not been recognized enough,” she said. “Nurses spend more time with the patient than any other health care provider.”
In 2015,
American Journal of Nursing profiled Monrovia Medical Unit (MMU) Team 1, a group who spent 60 days in Liberia operating a 25-bed Ebola unit outside the capital city, with the specific intention to treat health care workers.
Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, chief nurse officer of the USPHS, went to Monrovia with the team as commanding officer of the Commissioned Corps Ebola Response. She said the team "did an outstanding job." They provided "high quality care and treatment services, which were often described by our international partners as the best available care in the country," she said. "Each day we strive to 'protect, promote, and advance the health and safety of our nation,' and this mission was no different."
I am proud to see a nurse assume this leadership position. It is an exciting time for nursing, indeed!
Tags :