An oral history of the joint nursing experience at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center

In 1993, the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force undertook long-term joint staffing of Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, a 180-bed facility in Germany. With little historical precedence, the Nurse Corps from each service worked diligently to integrate. Initial collaboration suffered because of confusion, ignorance of the other service's capabilities, and differences in mission emphasis and personnel management. Eventually, the nursing staffs built a cohesive team. Lessons learned for future multi-service nursing integration include extensive planning before implementation, flexibility and a willingness to learn, and full integration of service members throughout the organization. Staffing by two or more military medical services can be done successfully.