Active life in navy

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32460, 21 November 1970, Page 6

Active life in navy

The United States Navy Nurse Corps offers a varied and active career, according to Captain Dolores Troskoski, who has been visiting Christchurch for the last few days.

“My 21 years as a member 1 i of the corps has simply flown ' ; by,” she said yesterday. < She has been visiting . Christchurch as a member of ] i a medical inspection team, i The team has been inspecting, ; and reviewing medical faciii- ] i ties at Pearl Harbour, Hono- j i lulu, Australia and New Zea- , land. The only woman member' on the inspection team of 1 ■ three, Captain Troskoski said' ’ she was placed permanently l : on the team, which was based , in Washington, D.C. The ■ team went on regular tours . of naval hospitals and medical » centres both inside the United f States and oversea. e This was her first visit to New Zealand which she has

found "absolutely delightful.” In Christchurch she nas i been particularly struck by the gardens, both public and private. , Captain Troskoski said she received her basic nursing education at the King’s County Hospital, Brooklyn, New York. She had then gained her bachelor of science of nursing degree at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. After joining the Navy, Nurse Corps she gained her master of science degree in ' management at the U.S. Naval Post-Graduate School in Monterey, California. During her 21 years of service she has been stationed 1 at numerous naval posts withI in the United States and has , also served overseas. Her I main duties have been super(visory but she has also gained i wide experience in practical I nursing. I “Nursing experience in the navy is much the same as > working in any hospital—the b only thing that is different

usually is the environment,” she said. WIDE EXPERIENCE Naval hospitals also took care of the medical problems of the dependants of navy personnel, so wide experience was- gained nursing women and children. “One of the most satisfying aspects of this work is the opportunity to travel extensively and to meet a wide variety of people—if you love nursing and travelling it is the ideal career.” She said the corps also contained many male nurses—about 2400—who worked under the same conditions as the women. In 21 years she has never tad to test the naval medical facilities. “I’ve never had anything more than a cold,” she said.