Like any other healthcare professional, nurses make significant contributions to the world’s development and prosperity. Many people see nurses as heroes, characterizing their discipline “by a strong and enduring set of core values and principles” (Thorne, 2020, p. 1). However, some representatives of this profession are especially remarkable due to their personal achievements or contribution to the healthcare industry. A perfect example of such a nurse would be Patricia Horoho, a former Army Surgeon General for the United States Army (Sitzman et al., 2010). Military nursing may be considered an untold story since most people imagine nurses watching patients in hospitals wearing blue gowns, not treating soldiers in the military field wearing camouflage. Nonetheless, military nurses are also a significant part of the healthcare industry, and their actions sometimes even make them worthy of the General rank, as proved by Patricia Horoho.
Horoho was one of the many heroes who risked their lives to save others during the well-known events of September 11, 2001. She was working in the office in Pentagon when one of the airplanes struck the building, and she held an administrative position at that time, meaning that she could escape following the instructions. However, Horoho went to the nearest point of impact inside the building and helped wounded and injured people to evacuate and get to safety (Kenny et al., 2020). The selfless actions of Horoho demonstrated her heroism and the importance of her profession. Furthermore, she became the first female to serve as “the 43rd Surgeon General of the Army and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Medical Command” (Kenny et al., 2020., p. 37). Horoho significantly impacted nursing and healthcare, being an example of a genuine nurse to thousands of colleagues across the country and worldwide.
References
Kenny, D. J., Simmons, A. M., & COL, A. (2020). Everyday heroes: Nurses working quietly behind the scenes saving lives and protecting their patients. Journal of Health and Human Experience, 4(2), 25-42.
Sitzman, K., Judd, D., Davis, G. M. (2010). A history of American nursing: Trends and eras. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Thorne, S. (2020). Rethinking Carper’s personal knowing for 21st-century nursing. Nursing Philosophy, 21(4), 1-7. Web.