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Nursing in the Military Health System

Nurses across the Military Health System are making a difference. They serve in leading roles to maintain military health and readiness and help make transformative changes in military medicine.

Nurses Week Spotlight image


Nurses of all backgrounds, ranks, and roles are an essential part of the MHS mission. Our nursing team includes:

  • Active duty service members.
  • Guard and Reserve members.
  • Civilians.
  • Contractors.

Our nurses provide services beyond their roles in military hospital and clinics. These roles include:

  • Serving in research labs and classrooms.
  • Working in classrooms as teachers and mentors.
  • Evaluating informatics to improve patient care systems.

DHA’s nursing leaders are optimizing the system of care and the patient experience. This is done by integrating and standardizing nursing practices across the continuum of care.

Meet DHA's Chief Nursing Officer

BG Katherine A. SimonsonBrig. Gen. Katherine A. Simonson is a Distinguished Military Graduate of Canisius College, Buffalo, New York. Her education includes a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a Masters of Nursing from the University of Washington, Seattle. She was commissioned into the Regular Army in 1990.

Read her Full Bio

DHA Nursing Key Areas of Interest

  • Research and Innovation: Our nursing-focused research results in new, evidence-based, professional practices.
  • Policies and Practice: We base our nursing policies and practices on validated evidence. This evidence is consistent with national standards.
  • Education and Training: By working with our MHS partners, we’re providing and enhancing educational opportunities across the MHS. Our leaders are prioritizing our nurse’s professional growth and development.
  • Readiness: We’re providing operational readiness platforms to make sure our nurses have the knowledge, skills, and abilities they need wherever and whenever they are called upon to serve. And we’re establishing partnerships to enhance the readiness of the total nursing force.

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Article Around MHS
Sep 25, 2023

A Nursing Journey: Saving Lives and Exploring the World One Adventure at a Time

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Growing up, The Hunt for Red October, a thrilling 1990s cinematic adventure starring Alec Baldwin as CIA analyst Jack Ryan, captured the attention and imagination of U.S. Navy Lt. Claire Burke, who briefly flirted with the idea of becoming an intelligence analyst before pursing her naval nursing career.

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Sep 13, 2023

International Red Cross Medal Awarded to Team Yokota Nurse

U.S. Air Force Capt. Brandi Branch, 374th Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic flight commander, is one of 37 people from 22 countries that received the Florence Nightingale Medal from the International Red Cross, the highest recognition of distinctive medical service a nurse can be awarded, at Yokota Air Base, Japan, on Aug. 7, 2023. Branch was recognized for her efforts in Afghanistan working with the Red Crescent, a Red Cross affiliate, and for her efforts in medical education. (Graphic: U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Ryan Lackey)

U.S. Air Force Capt. Brandi Branch, 374th Obstetrics and Gynecology Outpatient Clinic flight commander, is one of only 37 people from 22 countries that received the Florence Nightingale Medal this year from the International Red Cross—the highest recognition of medical service a nurse can be awarded for extraordinary courage, devotion, service, and ...

Article Around MHS
May 25, 2023

From the Farm to the Hospital: Former Chief of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps Driven by Life’s Challenges

Retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Clara Leach Adams-Ender poses for a photo at her home in Lake Ridge, Virginia, Oct. 31, 2021. She spent 34 years as an Army nurse overcoming all the challenges that came her way. (Photo by Michael A. McCoy)

As a young Army nurse at her first duty station in the intensive care unit at Fort Dix, New Jersey, then U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Clara Leach would go home each day and think about ways to improve her job performance. She was struggling at the time to get her work done and didn't understand why.

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May 16, 2023

Walter Reed Celebrates U.S. Navy Nurse Corp's 115th Birthday

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Walter Reed National Military Medical Center celebrates the 115th Birthday for the U.S. Navy Nurse Corp. as part of WRNMMC’s National Nurse Week celebration. National Nurse Week is a weeklong event that celebrates and acknowledges nurses and the hard and selfless work they put in, in service of their patients.

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May 12, 2023

Military Nurses Provide Professional Insight to Students

Nursing professionals from the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein Air Base, and the 30th Medical Brigade recently joined forces to participate in a Health and Human Service Academy Career Fair at Ramstein High School, aiming to educate students about the rewarding career of nursing and the diverse opportunities it presents.  (Photo By John Ciccarelli)

Nurses from Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC), the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (86th AES), 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein Air Base, and the 30th Medical Brigade (30th MED BDE) participated in a Health and Human Service Academy Career Fair at Ramstein High School to educate students about nursing and the career opportunities it offers, May 4.

Article Around MHS
May 12, 2023

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Article Around MHS
May 10, 2023

Recognizing Excellence: Four Walter Reed Nurses Honored with DAISY Award

U.S. Navy Capt. Jessica Beard, chief nursing officer presents (L-R) U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Rose Flanagan, U.S. Navy Ensign Angela Spath, and U.S. Army 1st Lt. Amber Huddleston the DAISY Award during Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Director's Town Hall. (Photo: Harvey Duze)

The Walter Reed national Military Medical Center honored four of its own with the prestigious DAISY Award during the Director's Town Hall. The Daisy Award is a national recognition program that celebrates the extraordinary work of nurses, physicians, and health care staff members.

Last Updated: July 11, 2023
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