Meeting My Boss

I had the opportunity to attend a reception this evening following classes to welcome Major General Gale S. Pollock. MG Pollock is the U.S. Army Deputy Surgeon General as of October 2006. In 2004 she became the Chief of the Army Nurse Corps and the Commander of the Pacific Regional Medical Command stationed at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, HI.

Once formally presented to us she spoke to us as a group challenging every officer in the room (from 2LT to Colonel) to fight for our patients and for change. She continued by encouraging us to write down our goals and puruse them, but not to be afraid to change them as we grow in our careers. She encouraged us to live it up as LTs as this is the best time to get a solid base for our nursing knowledge as we work as Med/Surg Nuses (66H).

I had the opportunity to speak with Colonel who went from Med/Surg RN to an ICU RN and has worked her way up to Chief Nurse in the Army Medical Center that she is stationed at. She too stressed how important it is to soak up what time I will have as a Med/Surg RN as it may only last two years before I specialize.

The more I talk with Colonels and LT Colonels I realize that I made a good decision in joining the Army Healthcare Team. The Army wants each 2LT to have that solid Med/Surg base but begins pushing us to be the leaders they want and need us to be both in the clinical setting and in different leadership positions throughout the facility. (We are Charge Nurses at about 6 months. Holy Heck!) I would not want to be anywhere else.