Hazel Johnson-Brown is known for her role as a decorated army nurse, and many other roles that earned her the title of “trailblazer”. She enlisted in the Army in 1955 and served in the United States, Japan and Korea. She also played a critical role in training nurses who were deployed during the Vietnam War.

Although her primary area of service was surgical nursing, during her time in the Army, she rose to prominence through the ranks and made military history in 1979, after being promoted to brigadier general and chief of the Army Nurse Corps. She was the first African American woman to be promoted to either position.  In addition to her nursing specialty, she developed policies and monitored operations for Army medical centers, community hospitals, and free-standing clinics throughout the US as well as internationally.

Post-retirement, she began instructing as a professor at various institutions and lead the American Nurses Association government relations unit.

Her contributions to nursing and the military were significant then and are widely recognized today. We thank Ms. Johnson-Brown for her service to our country and paving the way for so many nurses who came after her.

Source: African-American nurses who paved the way. (2018, November 09). Retrieved February 03, 2021, from https://nursing.jnj.com/advancing-culturally-competent-care/african-american-nurses-who-paved-the-way