ONE NURSE AT A TIME

Last Minute Need for SCRUB NURSE in Ecuador!

2012-02-25T22:09:00.000-06:00

Healing the Children, SW chapter has a last minute need or a scrub nurse in Ecuador due to a cancellation: The trip is April 21 –28, 2012.
Anyone interested should take a look at the general information regarding surgical/medical trips on our website (www.healingthechildrensw.org) and if still interested send an email tohealingthechildren@comcast.net, or call 505 401-8576. As with all our trips, the volunteer is responsible for airfare, lodging and meals. With the exception of the first and last nights, lodging will be paid for.

MSF Recruiting Event: Portland and Seattle

2012-02-01T00:48:00.000-06:00

PUT YOUR IDEALS INTO PRACTICE:
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS RECRUITMENT INFORMATION SESSIONS

PORTLAND
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 - 7:00PM
200 Market Building - Lobby Level Conference Room
200 SW Market St
Portland, OR 97201
Every day, Doctors Without Borders aid workers from around the world provide assistance to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe – treating those most in need regardless of political, religious, or economic interest. Whether an emergency involves armed conflicts or epidemics, malnutrition or natural disasters, Doctors Without Borders is committed to bringing quality medical care to people caught in crisis.

On January 31 in Portland, medical and non-medical professionals are invited to join us for a presentation to learn more about how you can join Doctors Without Borders' pool of dedicated aid workers. You'll meet experienced Doctors Without Borders aid workers from the Portland area and hear firsthand stories of "life in the field." Aid worker and recruiter Rogier van Helmond will discuss requirements and the application process.

For more information and to register please visit:
http://msfportlandinfosession013112.eventbrite.com/

SEATTLE

Thursday, February 2, 2012 - 7:00PM
The Mountaineers Program Center - Goodman B Room
7700 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115
Every day, Doctors Without Borders aid workers from around the world provide assistance to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe – treating those most in need regardless of political, religious, or economic interest. Whether an emergency involves armed conflicts or epidemics, malnutrition or natural disasters, Doctors Without Borders is committed to bringing quality medical care to people caught in crisis.

On February 2 in Seattle, medical and non-medical professionals are invited to join us for a presentation to learn more about how you can join Doctors Without Borders' pool of dedicated aid workers. You'll meet experienced Doctors Without Borders aid workers from the Seattle area and hear firsthand stories of "life in the field." Aid worker and recruiter Rogier van Helmond will discuss requirements and the application process.

For more information and to register please visit:
http://msfseattleinfosession020212.eventbrite.com/

Need for Volunteers: Hearts Afire Mission Trip To Haiti

2012-02-01T00:36:00.001-06:00

The Haiti earthquake has created a wide variety of ministry opportunities in this poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. General medical clinics are of critical importance and Hearts Afire have also engaged in the assistance of orphanage construction. Hearts Afire continues facilitating the healing of the Haitians hearts, homes, and villages.

Hearts Afire will be conducting a mission to Haiti from March 11-17, 2012. They will be conducting medical clinics, outreach programs and youth and child ministries. Trip cost is $1600 and includes airfare from Tampa, FL, all meals, transportation, lodging and other necessities. To register, contact Barb Faber at (941) 552-1584 or email barb@heartsafire.us

To learn more about Hearts Afire's mission and success stories, please visit their website www.heartsafire.us

One Nurse At A Time says Goodbye to Communications Director, Nancy Harless, RN, BSN, WCHNP.

2012-01-15T23:55:00.000-06:00

One Nurse At A Time announces that Nancy Harless has stepped down as Communications Director as of January 1, 2012. Nancy joined ONAAT two years ago and has been the driving force behind our current successful media presence. Nancy created the One Nurse At A Time Blog (OneNurseAtATimeBlog.blogspot) which was honored as one of the top nursing blogs for 2011. Nancy also used her writing talents to forge new relationships for ONAAT with many professional nursing journals and publications like Nurse.com and NP World News. Nancy was instrumental in communicating with our scholarship recipients, helping them write about their mission experiences and being the conduit for sharing these stories.

“I am, and will always continue to be, a strong supporter of One Nurse and plan follow what's happening with you. It's going to be an exciting year!” says Nancy.

Thank you for everything you have done for ONAAT Nancy. Your relentless perserverance in spreading the word about the value of nursing really did help us “put more nurse out into the world”! You will be greatly missed.

Sue Averill and Staci Kelley
Co-Founders of One Nurse At A Time

Grounds for Health in Nicaragua

2011-12-22T15:35:00.002-06:00

For women living in impoverished areas in underdeveloped countries, it is extremely challenging to get preventative medical care as well as the treatment that is needed. Yet there are people who have taken on this challenge and are doing something about it right now. One Nurse At A Time 2011 scholarship recipient, Sylvia Estrada, is one of those people. Read her entire story on on line on the Nurse Together website: http://www.nursetogether.com/Community/Volunteer-Article/itemId/2906/Cervical-Cancer-Campaign-in-Coffee-Growing-Communi.aspx

Ms. Estrada received her nursing degree from Los Angeles County /University of Southern California (LAC/USC) School of Nursing and her Bachelor's in Nursing from California State University, Los Angeles. She earned a Master's degree in Healthcare Management from California State University, Los Angeles and a Master's degree in Nursing from California State University, Long Beach. She is currently enrolled in the Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California.

Ms. Estrada demonstrates a strong commitment to her volunteer work providing service and medical care to the underserved populations across Central American countries, travelling abroad annually to address, deliver and manage gynecological and obstetric health care needs of impoverished women.

A LIFE LIVED FOR OTHERS

2011-12-19T17:54:00.001-06:00

"It is truly difficult to put into perspective how Africa has taken my heart captive. The warm smiles, the hospitality of the people and the unique cultures forever are sketched into my memory. However, the images of starving and orphaned children, the smell of sewage running through dirt-laden streets and the millions of people without clean water, food and basic healthcare also are tattoed on my mind and heart." ~Heather Saunders, RN. Read the entire article on Nurse.com http://news.nurse.com/article/20111219/STUDENT/111219001

Heather Saunders, RN, works in the ED of a Level 1 trauma center in Springfield. She graduated from an ADN program in May of 2010 and is completing her bachelor’s degree in nursing. Her goal is to attend John Hopkins University for a master’s degree in public health. Heather was One Nurses's twelveth scholarship nurse for 2011.

WELCOME DEEANN

2011-12-14T13:05:00.000-06:00

ONE NURSE AT A TIME welcomes out newest volunteer! Deeann Mikula, RN joins our team of people who are passionate about giving back to their local and global community through volunteer and humanitarian medical pursuits. She will serve as part of our communications team by submitting articles to nursing journals both on-line and in print, as well as maintaining out blog.

Deeann has a history of volunteering. She recently earned her RN and started working immediately at Swedish Cherry Hill Emergency Department. Dee earned her EMT certification in 2004, which was when she decided that she was unfulfilled working with computers and wanted to get back to college passion for medicine. At that same time, she began volunteering with her local chapter of the American Red Cross, beginning her training in Disaster Health Services. Almost immediately upon becoming qualified to volunteer in a American Red Cross national deployment, she was sent to central Florida for Hurricane Charley.

That Hurricane Charley deployment turned into Hurricane Francis, Ivan and Jeanne while Dee was deployed in the area. It was during this incredible response that she was inspired by hard work, dedication, flexibility and sense of caring of the nurses she was working with. It was then that she decided, "Nursing is for me!" She has since volunteered on many local disaster responses and one other national response for the American Red Cross. She hopes to begin volunteering internationally on disaster responses and other support for communities at need.

Dee is certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support, and serves on the Operations Council and the Safety Council of the Emergency Department and is a member of the Emergency Nurses Association. Her other interest include outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, kayaking, swimming, snowshoeing and skiing, as well as travel, cooking and copious amounts of reading.

Everyone at One Nurse extends a hearty welcome to Deeann. She will be a valuable asset to the team!

Cervical Cancer Campaign in Coffee Growing Communities

2011-11-23T15:52:00.002-06:00

For a woman living in impoverished areas in underdeveloped countries it is extremely challenging to get preventative medical care as well as the treatment that is needed. Yet there are people who have taken on this challenge and are doing something about it right now. Grounds For Health(GFH) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to create women’s health programs in coffee growing communities such as Nicaragua, Mexico, and Tanzania, with a focus on the early detection and treatment of cervical cancer. They achieve this through community partnerships with coffee cooperatives (co-ops), local health systems, volunteer teams, involved supporters, and implementing sustainable programs that will work for that respective country.

From September 21-30^th, 2011, 7 GFH volunteers travelled to San Juan de Rio Coco, Nicaragua. San Juan de Rio Coco is a rural coffee growing community in the northern highlands in the department of Madriz, Nicaragua; a six hour rustic drive outside of Managua. The GFH staff was housed in a modest hotel in the center of town. The primary care hospital known as Luis Felipe Moncada, had an outpatient clinic area that was used as the clinic site for the cervical cancer campaign. The clinic was located in the outskirts of town approximately six city blocks from our hotel. The clinic became the first dysplasia treatment center in the municipality of San Juan del Rio Coco to have trained medical personnel to screen for cervical cancer.

GFH had partnered with four local coffee co-ops to assist with logistics and management of the cervical cancer campaign. We trained a new cohort of 11 doctors and nurses on cervical cancer screening that included pap smears, Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA), and treatment of pre-cancer cervical lesions with cryotherapy. During the course of the campaign, a total of 306 women were screened.

Grounds For Health relies heavily on its volunteers. I along with six other volunteers that included a pathologist, cytotechnicians, and nurse practitioners from the U.S. gave our time and expertise to bring education and clinical training to the rural Nicaraguan healthcare staff . I was one of five clinical preceptors. Each day I was given two students to supervise their new learned skills to take a gynecological history, evaluate their pelvic exam techniques, and evaluate their communication with patients regarding cervical cancer screening. My proficiency in Spanish was a big asset and contributed greatly with my ability to establish a good rapport with my students. My students were very curious about the way I practice back home and I was curious to find out about the different levels of “nursing” and education in Nicaragua. I particularly enjoyed our “feedback sessions” at the end of a long clinic day where students, clinical preceptors, and lab staff would have the opportunity to talk about how our day went. I was always eager to hear from the lab staff that our students had prepared their pap smear slides correctly.

Our goal was not to just provide screening and treatment but to collaborate with the communities (including the ministry of health, other local providers, the hospitals and clinics to name a few), to create a program that continues long after we are gone that doesn’t need spare parts or highly trained experts. We helped create a “sustainable and effective” program so that when we leave Nicaragua, the local health care providers can continue to provide these health care services for women.

I am fortunate to be able to participate in this amazing program. I am fortunate to use my services to change another’s life experience for the better and fortunate for the medical care that is available to us here in the United States. Thanks to programs such as Grounds For Health and its dedicated volunteers, many lives in impoverished countries have been given a second chance at health. I am extremely grateful to ONAAT for the honor of being chosen as a scholarship recipient.

If you want to find out about volunteer opportunities with Grounds For Health please log on to http://groundsforhealth.org/

By Sylvia S. Estrada, RNC, WHCNP, CBCN, MSN, MSHCM, BSN . our 12th One Nurse scholarship awardee for 2011.

RETURN TO HAITI by Ginger Hart RN, BSN

2011-11-16T19:25:00.000-06:00

Arriving home from Haiti each time is hard. The country is filled of amazing people with beautiful spirits. I spent 10 days working in the only critical care hospital in the entire country. Project Medishare for Haiti is located in the heart of Port-au-Prince. During my time spent at the hospital hundreds upon hundreds of patients were seen each day. There illness ranging from asthma attacks to acute GI bleeds.

There are so many memories I have made. People from all around the world travel to Haiti each week to help at The Bernard Mevs Hospital. This week we had Canadians, Americans, Australians, English plus so many more. It always amazes me how people of so many different backgrounds can come together for a greater cause....

Ginger Hart, RN, BSN lives in Conway, Arkansas. She graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in 2010 with her bachelors of science in nursing. She works as a RN at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) for the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, the worlds largest treatment center for patients with multiple myeloma needing stem cell transplants. Ginger has volunteered in China and made numerous medical missions to Haiti since the earthquake of 2010. She received the 13th One Nurse At A Time scholarship for 2011 to serve in Haiti.

Read Ginger Hart's entire story: http://www.nursetogether.com/Community.aspx

ONE NURSE WELCOMES DAVID FOX TO OUR TEAM

2011-11-08T05:33:00.003-06:00

One Nurse At A Time is proud to welcome David Fox as our newest volunteer. David will be helping to expand our presence in the media, as well as leading fund raising through social media.

"I’ve been fortunate enough to know Sue Averill, co-founder of One Nurse, for a couple of decades having worked together previously at the same company. Sue has always demonstrated an unquenchable drive to improve everything she touches and now she touches the world through One Nurse. I’m glad and proud to support her and the One Nurse team any way I can. Because of my corporate and international background, I hope to knit together a number of global organizations as resources to One Nurse.

My career has not been humanitarian per se but human-oriented, with more than 20 years in various corporate HR leadership and consulting roles. I’d like to think HR work has its humanitarian aspects even if it is just inside corporations. I feel best about my work when I see people doing well, and that’s also part of the mission of One Nurse. I’ve been involved with workforces around the world, including the UK, Netherlands, Malaysia, India, China, Australia and Japan.

For the past 6 years, I’ve been living in China doing my best to learn of the country and the people, and support the development of the HR community there. I can assure you, there is a vast opportunity in China for One Nurse and any work there will make a huge difference. Prior to China, I lived in Spain but home has always been the US.

Past roles have included Executive Director Global Talent Management, Executive Director International HR, and Director Strategic Talent Management Practice, among others."

David presently serves as the Head of Human Resources for Thomson Reuters Corporate Technology Center in Minnesota. Everyone at One Nurse is thrilled to have such talent and expertise joining us. With David's help we can make a change in the world....one nurse, one person, at a time.

One Nurse's President Assists Global Health Conference.

2011-11-02T20:05:00.001-05:00

One Nurse At A Time’s president, Sue Averill recently was invited to review abstracts the 2011 Global Health Conference jointly sponsored by the Canadian Society for International Health, Global Health Education Consortium, and Consortium of Universities for International Health (GHEC/CUGH/CSIH) The conference will be held in Montreal on November 13-15, 2011. Sue’s feedback and input played an important role in shaping the conference themes and scientific content for the meeting and both co-chairs, Drs. Timothy Brewer and Anvar Velji expressed gratitude for her contribution. Just one more way we are making a difference….one nurse at time!

Final Scholarship Award for 2011

2011-10-26T10:20:00.000-05:00

     One Nurse is proud to announce our 15th Scholarship award for 2011, Kayla Lee, RN, BSN, BA, CCRN. Kayla will be leaving for Chocola, Guatemala with Refuge International at the end of the week. In Kayla's words....
     "I’ve been a registered nurse for over 12 years now in the intensive care unit setting. I’ll be attending my first medical missions trip ever at the end of October 2011 to Guatemala. It’s been something I’ve been talking about doing for a while and now will be putting words to action. I’m way overdue - it’s time to live beyond myself and to step outside of my plush American lifestyle. Though it sounds selfish, I hope to gain more out of this experience than the people I’ll be serving."
     Everyone at One Nurse wishes Kayla well and looks forward to hearing all about her experience when she returns.

Kayla Lee, RN, BSN, BA, CCRN received a BA in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego and her BSN at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. she has worked in the Medical Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, WA since 2007..

ONE NURSE BOARD MEMBER GOES TO CHINA

2011-10-19T13:43:00.001-05:00

One Nurse board member, Kristi Whiton recently participated as an Ambassador for a People to People program to China. Her her own words, Kristi talks about her experience:

"After receiving a Emergency Nursing Associations invitation for an Emergency and Trauma Nursing People to People Ambassadors Program in the mail, traveling to China seemed like an adventure and education all at the same time. I talked my mother Linda Lemberg Ross RN, MSN into traveling with me, as she is also a former Emergency Nurse and currently a nursing instructor at a local community college. After many months of preparation, visa's and other necessary paperwork for the People to People Ambassador's Program- we were finally ready to leave September 3rd, 2011.

Our trip started us in Seattle, WA through San Francisco to our first stop in Beijing, China. We would be traveling from September 3rd until September 15th, 2011. Our travel partners included Emergency nurses from around the nation, several RN's from California, New York, Massachusetts,Virgina, Texas, and Montana. Our delegation leader was William Briggs, RN 2009 Emergency Nurse's Association past-president.

In Beijing we experienced both the cultural and nursing aspects of Chinese people. We spent time with pre-hospital personnel, Emergency Nurses, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chinese Nurse's Association and the Chinese Medical Association. We toured the pre-hospital training and main ambulance center, and Peking's University's People's Hospital.

Our cultural days in Beijing were spent visiting Tienanmen square, Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China. Our eating experiences were traditional Chinese delicatessens. We enjoyed local restaurants, such as the famous Peking Duck Restaurant Da Dong and some of the nurse's ventured as far as trying fried scorpion's!

Our second stop was a short 3 hour flight to the south, to a smaller city of Guiyang. This city was considered more rural, with about 4 million people inhabiting the city center. Most of the Chinese people had never seen many tourists visit this city, so our arrival prompted many pictures from the local teenage girls and stares from the older Chinese people.

Our trip incorporated a venture to the Guiyang Medical University, and one of the local vocational schools farther outside of the central city of Guiyang. The trips to the university and vocational school were the highlight of the trip. Learning about their educational system, visiting their school rooms, and their laboratory's were fascinating. The welcome we received from the student nurses was unbelievable. At the vocational school, the school was set high in the mountains, about an hour and half away from Guiyang. It was a a very remote and peaceful setting. One of our highlights was when the entire nursing school of students (200-300) nurse's were screaming and yelling in delight when our bus pulled up to the front gate. The student nurse's who guided us through their campus were dressed in their white uniform's and white caps, the reception was overwhelming.

One of the benefits of the People to People Ambassadors trip is the option to extend your trip to visit other cities of China. My mother and I decided to extend and our visit included Xi'an and Kunming. These last 4 days were cultural days only, and we spent a majority of the time visiting cultural wonders such as the Terracota Army, City Wall of Xi'an, and Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang ordered the construction of the Terracotta Army and his mausoleum is just to the east of Xi'an almost immediately after his ascension to the throne. The City Wall of Xi'an was constructed in the 14th century, and the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is over 1000 years old. All of these sites were absolutely breathtaking and spectacular to visit.

In Kunming, my mother went solo (with the rest of the group) to visit this city. Being 6 1/2 months pregnant, I decided to take a day of rest and fly back to Beijing to wait for the rest of the group to return to Beijing and then prepare for our flight back to the states. One of the major sites they visited was the Kunming Stone Forest. The day was hot and the sites were unbelievable. The tall rocks seem to protrude from the ground in a similar way that stalagmites do in caves, many of them appear like petrified trees, which creates the illusion of a forest made of stone."

Kristi Whiton, ONAAT Board Member

　

OPPORTUNITY FOR CRNAs -- SURGICAL MISSION TO SIERRA LEONE

2011-10-05T15:20:00.003-05:00

International Surgical Health Initiative (ISHI) is looking for one or two CRNAs interested in joining a two week surgical mission to Sierra Leone. The mission has one attending anesthesiologist who will need the help of at least one CRNA to help with the surgical cases.

ISHI requires that you have an interest in surgical humanitarian mission; at least one year of clinical experience; a CRNA license; and can commit to the two week medical/surgical mission.

Volunteers will be responsible for their own airfare and some accommodation costs. The cost of transportation inside Sierra Leone, as well as lodging and food, as soon as you get to Kabala, are covered by ISHI.

Any CRNA interested in applying please contact : Ziad Sifri at: zs0072@gmail.com or ziadsifri@ishiglobal.org For more information please see ISHI’s website at www.ishiglobal.org

Hearts in Motion in Guatemala – A First, but Definitely Not Last, Medical Mission Abroad

2011-10-03T16:23:00.000-05:00

When Becky Elder, FNP, read her Nov/Dec 2010 copy of NP World News she was elated. There on the front page, in bold type, were the words: “Healing Beyond Borders – One Nurse at a Time.” It was exactly what she wanted to do! Participating in a medical mission had always been a long term goal. She knew deep inside of that this was something she was meant to do. The article was about the organization, One Nurse At A Time (ONAAT) that recognizes how expensive it can be to volunteer and supports nurses and nurse practitioners who do. Becky contacted ONAAT; became the first ONAAT scholarship recipient for 2011; and completed her first, though definitely not last, medical mission in January of this year.....

Read Becky's story of her experiences in Guatemala working with Hearts in Motion in the most recent edition of NP WORLD NEWS. (Sept/Oct 2011) http://www.npworldnews.com/ One Nurse At A time has awarded thirteen $1,000 scholarships in 2011 to nurses and nurse practitioners who volunteered their time and talents abroad. For informations and applications see our website http://www.onenurseatatime.org/

Becky Elder, FNP, is a family nurse practitioner at St. Luke’s Travel Medicine in Boise, Idaho. She is married and has four boys. She enjoys biking, hiking, and watching her boys play sports and is always up for a new adventure. Becky served on a Medical Mission with the organization Hearts in Motions in Guatemala from January 7^th -16, 2011.

Not Your Typical Law Firm

2011-09-29T23:47:00.000-05:00

     Randall Danskin is not your typical law firm. They believe on providing strategic guidance and counsel based on their clients’ goals. For more than 100 years the attorneys of Randall Danskin have been known for their professionalism. And they are known for their volunteerism.
     Earlier this summer The Volunteer Lawyers Program (VLP) Advisory Committee and the Spokane County Bar Association Board of Trustees recently selected Randall | Danskin to receive the Exceptional Law Firm of the Year Award in recognition of the firm's support to the Spokane County Volunteer Lawyers Program during the past year.
     We at ONE NURSE AT A TIME would like to add our words of appreciation to this outstanding law firm that not only provided guidance through the process of obtaining our non profit 501(c)(3) status, but also, more recently, assisted us in drafting the legal releases necessary for our volunteer work. We want to extend a huge THANK YOU to Douglas J. Siddoway, and all the others at Randall Danskin, for your generous gifts of your time and talent.

ONE NURSE Awards First "Returning Nurse" Scholarship

2011-09-23T16:53:00.004-05:00

One Nurse At At TIme is thrilled to award another humanitarian nursing scholarship to Jennifer Tucker,RN, MSN, FNP-BC. A dedicated nurse volunteer,Jenn will be making her fifth medical mission to San Raymundo, Guatemala, in October, with Refuge International.(RI).

Jenn was a One Nurse 2010 scholarship recipient when she previously served in San Raymondo with RI in February 2010. The following are Jennifer's remarks about her 2010 medical mission. We at One Nurse look forward to hearing all about this years mission when she returns.

In Jennifer's words:

Refuge International. It is not merely an organization with hundreds of volunteers. It is not solely an organization that makes me feel safe in a foreign country. For me, it is friendship. It is love. It is serving those that need served the most. It is the bringing together of people who are not always like-minded but like-souled. I had the pleasure and joy of traveling to San Raymundo twice in 2010 with Refuge, February and October.

We saw sicker patients this past year, more grossly abnormal clinical findings. More heartbreak than before. More joy than before. We had several patients that we simply had to say, there is nothing we can do for you, your condition will ultimately lead to your death, we are deeply sorry. It is such a difficult conversation to have in the United States. But, to have it with a patient and their family who have the wild hope that the gringos can fix anything. This conversation can cause my heart to stop for a moment. We hold hands with these patients. We offer comfort medications. We help the family to understand how to help these people have a peaceful death. We pray with them. We cry with them. We had patients who, by birth or by accident, had brain abnormalities. Things from which they will never recover. They will never be “normal”. To be thanked for giving them the truth about their condition is humbling. It amazes me how the right provider ends up with the patient that needs them the most. The trip in October saw the birth of a baby in the clinic. Such hope and joy in a new baby’s cry!

Please do not think of me as a self-sacrificing, amazing person who goes for completely altruistic reasons. It is not true. I go because every year, I receive so very much. Personally, it puts into perspective, my life, my goals, my desires. It helps me to rely not on diagnostic testing, as there is very little available to me when in clinic. But, rather, it helps me to develop my hands on skills and diagnostic abilities based on patient presentation. I bring back the blessings of hundreds of people who we see in clinic. I bring back the stories of love, hope and sorrow. I bring back knowledge from every single member of the team I travel with...they all teach me so much. The students I have worked with made me a better teacher. The translators, our voices and our ears, infuse the spirit of their people into English that we can understand. I come home with more friends. The camaraderie of the providers, the long hours, the tears that we’ve shared, bond us in a way that I’ve never been bonded to others before. Do not think of me as a giving person. Think of me as a person who has been enriched beyond anything she has hoped to be enriched, loved more than ever, taught in a way that she’s not been taught before and thankful for things she’s never been thankful for.

An Amazing Young Nurse

2011-09-08T16:17:00.001-05:00

ONE NURSE AT A TIME is proud to announce our Thirteenth scholarship for 2011! Ginger Hart has only been a nurse for one year, but has already completed three medical missions since graduation and will return to Port au Prince, Haiti this Fall to work with Project Medishare for Haiti.

Ginger always knew from the time she was a child that she wanted to help those who were less fortunate than herself. In 2007 she, along with 20 other nursing students, boarded a plane set for Shanghai , China. They spent the summer learning about traditional Chinese medicine as well as providing immunizations and basic care for the orphans of Shanghai.

After the earthquake that ravaged Port-au-Prince, Haiti in February 2010 Ginger immediately began preparing for a way she could help. After graduating nursing school on a Saturday she boarded a plane bound for Haiti on Sunday. She worked in the operating room in a makeshift tent hospital working with a non profit organization called Project Medishare for Haiti. It is supported and ran by the University of Miami hospital. She has made 3 different trips to Haiti since May 2010 and with her scholarship provided by One Nurse at A Time she will be able to make her 4^th trip this October.

"I am beyond excited to be going back to Haiti. It is my home away from home,” says Ginger. She will work in the operating room with other volunteer doctors and nurses providing trauma and emergent surgeries around the clock. Project Medishare’s hospital, Bernard Mevs in the only ICU hospital on the entire island. It has 3 med/surg wards, 1 specific for spinal cord injuries. 1 pediatric ward with the only NICU and PICU, a 2 bed ER, a 1 bed triage, a 4 bed ICU with 2 ventilators, a 2 bed OR with a 4 bed PACU.

Ginger would like to extend her appreciation to ONAAT for the help they have provided her. We at One Nurse At A Time say to Ginger....BRAVO! We hold you in awe. Each time you go out into the world you do , indeed, make it a better place.

CONGRATULATIONS to Sylvia Estrada

2011-08-27T09:32:00.003-05:00

ONE NURSE AT A TIME is proud to announce our twelfth scholarship for 2011. Sylvia Estrada will travel to San Juan del Rio Coco, Nicaragua in late September to work with Grounds for Health. In Ms Estrada's own words:

"It was through an article in Nurse Week that I found out about ONAAT. In the words of St. Francis Assissi, “It is in giving that we receive” and certainly every time I go into a Central American country to provide health care services to the underserved women of that country, I am reminded of how truly fortunate and blessed we are living in this country. Volunteering in underserved areas is my “Chicken Soup For The Soul” and I look forward to my annual trips to educate and help heal vulnerable women."

We welcome Sylvia to the sisterhood/Brotherhood of nurses who are changing the world ....One Nurse At A Time !

Sylvia S. Estrada, RNC, WHCNP, CBCN, MSN, MSHCM, BSN is the Clinical Program Coordinator for the Wasserman Breast Cancer Risk Reduction Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Ms. Estrada is nationally certified as a: Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioner; Certified Breast Care Nurse; and Certified Clinical Research Professional. Her current clinical care and research interests involve the screening of women, who are at high risk for breast cancer, provide genetic counseling for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Ms. Estrada received her nursing degree from Los Angeles County /University of Southern California (LAC/USC) School of Nursing and her Bachelor's in Nursing from California State University, Los Angeles. She earned a Master's degree in Healthcare Management from California State University, Los Angeles and a Master's degree in Nursing from California State University, Long Beach. She is currently enrolled in the Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California. Ms. Estrada demonstrates a strong commitment to her volunteer work providing service and medical care to the underserved populations across Central American countries, travelling abroad annually to address, deliver and manage gynecological and obstetric health care needs of impoverished women.

ONAAT Awards Our Eleventh Scholarship for 2011

2011-08-19T09:09:00.003-05:00

One Nurse At A Time congratulates Heather Saunders, RN on on her dedication to humanitarian nursing. Heather will be serving in September with ER Abroad in Nakuru, Kenya and is the eleventh ONAAT scholarship recipient this year. In Heather's own words:

"I am currently a registered nurse at a level 1 trauma center in Springfield, IL. Although I love my job as an emergency room nurse, my truest calling and passion is for working with populations of people in health crisis and in need of humanitarian assistance. I graduated from an ADN program in May of 2010 but have been participating in medical mission work since the summer of 2006 when I accompanied a team of medical staff to Ghana, West Africa. I am currently finishing my bachelor’s degree in nursing and hope to continue on to John Hopkins University where I aspire to obtain a master’s degree in public health. It is my dream to be able to work full time in medical missions. Until then I will continue to bring love and medicine to the world through short-term trips."

"The purpose of life is a life of purpose." ~ Robert Byrne

On A Sunny Saturday in Seattle

2011-08-14T21:43:00.001-05:00

A small crowd of One Nurse At A Time supportors gathered at Tulas Jazz Club in Seattle on Saturday afternoon to hear jazz musician, Rick DellaRatta, play. The concert was a ONAAT fund-raiser and proceeds from the ticket sales will go toward nursing scholarships for nurses who volunteer abroad.

"Rick DellaRatta is now considered by many to be one of the finest Singer/Pianists performing today and one of only a handful of Jazz Artists who can make a successful musical presentation to a large audience without having to abandon the true art form of Jazz. Through his life long endeavor to help advance people to their highest potential through the understanding of Jazz as well as spreading peace worldwide through his "Jazz for Peace World Tour." (quote from http://www.jazzforpeace.org/)

ONAAT president, Sue Averill introduced DellaRatta and spoke briefly about the history of One Nurse and the goals we have not simply met, but have exceeded. To date, in 2012 alone, we have awarded 12 One-Thousand dollar scholarships to nurses who provided humanitarian health care in Guatemala, Ecuador, Viet Nam, Haiti, Honduras, Niger and Kenya!

We would like to thank all who turned out for the concert (on one of the very few sunny Saturday's Seattle has seen this season!) in support of our nurses. We also want to thank all who donate to One Nurse all year round and remind everyone that it is easy to make a donation from our website http://www.onenurseatatime.org/. It is only through the generous support of our donors that we are able to bring change to world....one nurse at a time. Thank you!

WELCOME Karis Cady

2011-08-08T10:09:00.000-05:00

One Nurse At A Time is proud to announce a new member to our Board. Karis Cady, of Shoreline, Washington joins us and we all look forward to working together as we continue to expand our efforts to support volunteer humanitarian work at home and abroad.

Karis speaks of the roots of her passion for humanitarian work: "Since the age of three I knew I wanted to be an artist. I also wanted to live out the values my parents instilled in me of serving others and making an impact in the world. For the past twelve years I’ve worked as the Senior Designer at Pyramid Communications, a communications firm that works with non-profits, foundations, indigenous groups and community organizations. Our tagline is ‘We give voice to good causes.’

My parents had a passion for social justice and community development, so they started a non-profit housing firm in Cincinnati’s poorest community. Believing that change comes from within, they chose to live and raise their family in that same community. I grew up playing on fire escapes, waiting in food stamp lines, giving volunteer church groups tours of the ghetto, and playing barefoot in the streets. I worked in the soup kitchen but I was also the kid in the soup kitchen line.

My mother was a hospital chaplain. She believed that everyone had a story to tell and it was her goal to hear as many of those stories as she could. She had an amazing gift of comfort in the midst of pain and fear. She died of cancer when I was 21.

Through my experience hanging out at Mom’s workplace as well as going through her illness, I believe in the power of nurses. I was inspired to work with ONAAT because I want to support nurses that choose to volunteer their time and skills in areas that so desperately need it. We all can change the world, and ourselves, by using the gifts we are given and sharing them with others."

We welcome Karis to the team and look forward to working together. WE re thrilled to add her voice to the good we are doing in the world.

Return to Haiti

2011-08-03T10:17:00.000-05:00

I returned to Haiti with MMRC Haiti. MMRC is dedicated to the helping Haitian orphanages, running logistics for medical personnel and getting donated supplies to people who need them most.

We spent our days at an orphanage in Titanyen, Haiti. The kids there just simply melt your heart! The live with meager shelter (girls have a tent to sleep in and the boys sleep outside), limited food and water, and very little medical care. They have few toys and not enough clothes and shoes to go around. The nurses in our group conducted health assessments for the kids. We treated multiple cases of tinea capitis (a common fungal infection of the scalp) as well as some other common childhood ailments. We created an online record for each child to help coordinate care and share information between medical teams that visit the orphanage. The non-medical part of our team spent the days building showers for the kids who currently have no running water.

We spent some of our nights working in the ER and triage at a local NGO run hospital because they were short staffed and only had 3 volunteer nurses that week. In the ER we treated everything from lacerations to fractures to hypoglycemic emergencies.

MMRC Haiti also conducted medical transfers of patients. Weather it was a child with cholera, an adult with severe sepsis, a pregnant woman or a baby, we would place them in our vehicle and take them to the place where they would get the most appropriate care. Real ambulances are a rare commodity in Port Au Prince so we treat and transfer patients in the back of an old pick up truck.

My favorite part of working in Haiti is working along side the Haitian people. At MMRC Haiti we have a great group of Haitian guys that are our coworkers, security, translators and friends. One of our Haitian coworkers came to us and told us that MSPP (the Haitian Ministry of Health) was pulling bodies from his neighborhood daily. They were dying of cholera. He asked us to come teach a cholera class. We jumped at the chance and we held several cholera education classes in his neighborhood teaching both treatment and prevention measures. We were happy to see some of the class members passing on the info to more locals after class.

I never like leaving Haiti. Haiti makes me a better person. It makes me a better steward of health care resources in the states and makes me grateful to have them. Haiti makes me think outside the box to solve patient care problems. Haiti makes me realize how many things I can live without and teaches me the true meaning of human perseverance and resilience. I hope to return soon.

~Laura Brown

Laura Brown, RN, BSN, CCRN grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina and graduated from Belmont University in 2002. Laura works in Med/Surg ICU at the University of Washington Medical Center. Laura has been on six medical missions to Haiti since the earthquake of 2010 and continues to be amazed at the spirit of the Haitian people. She lives in the Seattle area with her husband and their two dogs. Laura enjoys volunteering at a prison pet reading program, hiking and traveling.

Put More Nurse in the World

2011-07-31T20:08:00.000-05:00

One Nurse At A Time is pleased to announce our newest volunteer, Kathryn Harper as our new Development & Communications Consultant.

Kathryn brings more than fifteen years experience in philanthropy, fundraising, grant management, marketing communications and public relations.

Following six years living and working internationally, and later working and volunteering for diverse non-profit organizations in Seattle and Honolulu, Kathryn understands the value of human capital in improving the lives of men, women and children marginalized by a lack of access to adequate health care, education or food – things many people take for granted. Her efforts to “put more nurse into the world” include supporting the organization’s development and outreach efforts, and helping to shine a light on the unparalleled benefits of nursing in the U.S. and abroad.

Kathryn holds a master’s degree in public policy from Seattle University, a Jesuit institution that weaves social justice into all of its curricula, and bachelor’s degree in history from Antioch University. Born and brought up in Hawaii, she currently resides in San Francisco.

Welcome Kathryn, to the One Nurse team, a team dedicated to supporting nurses and enhancing the profession as we promote humanitarian work locally, nationally and internationally

ONE NURSE AT A TIME Scholarship Nurse Leaves for Belize

2011-07-25T12:06:00.002-05:00

One Nurse At A Time sends a warm send-off to our 11th scholarship nurse for 2011, Carolyn Zook, BSN, PNP. While traveling in Central America last year, Carolyn was deeply moved by the level of poverty. She felt a strong connection to the people, especially the children, and decided she wanted to go on a medical mission to Central America. She left on July 22, 2011 to serve with the non-profit , "International Servants" in the Stann Creek region of southern Belize.

Carolyn has worked in Child Neurology at the University of North Carolina for eight years. She previously worked as a PNP in primary care for six years at Duke University. She serves as a preceptor and lecturer for the University of North Carolina and Duke University Nursing programs, and is a speaker for PESI Healthcare, a national organization that provides continuing education for nurses. Carolyn worked for several years in cities with large Hispanic populations where she learned to appreciate their compassion and love for their families. She continues to work with a large Hispanic population in North Carolina. Carolyn has also volunteered at a local homeless shelter and a shelter for women who are victims of domestic violence. She lives in Durham, North Carolina with her fiancé and 2 cats. Carolyn loves all outdoor activities, especially gardening and hiking.

Everyone at ONAAT wishes her a safe and satisfying journey and looks forward to hearing all about her medical mission when she returns.

Medical Mission to Honduras

2011-07-18T13:25:00.002-05:00

June 18-26, 2011 was a week of my life that I will never forget. I had the privilege of traveling to Honduras with United Methodist Church of Farmville sponsored through Friends of Barnabas Foundation. We stayed with at the foundation house in Peña Blanca and traveled to five different villages all in the mountains of Honduras. The villages included Santa Ana, Pompoa, Las Crucitas, Montañuelas, and Bueña Vista. I was one of 15 in my group combined of medical and non-medical staff. At each village, we set up a medical clinic with three registered nurses, one nurse practitioner, two 2 nursing students, and one local doctor. We also set up a de-worming clinic and an eye clinic.

This was my first trip to Honduras and I was taking back by the beauty of the land; yet in the same scene, such poverty and destruction. The people of these villages were so excited to see our bus arrive. The men of the village would be lined up waiting to unload the bus for us. Most villages already had a line formed waiting to check in of mothers with at least 3 children clinging to her side.

One of the most memorable experiences I had was on my last day of clinic the very first family I saw was a mother in her 20’s and two children. The little girl, 4 years old, was all smiles in her little pigtails and the boy, 18 months followed suit. My interpreter had a long beard and when he greeted the family the little boy was drawn to him. He stretched his little hand out to touch the beard. At this time, my interpreter placed his hand on the little boy’s cheek, and this image was burnt into my memory. It was obvious these children knew we were here to help them and their mother was every bit as thankful as the children. Our team members were given crosses to give away throughout the week to people we saw Christ in, and needless to say these children were given mine.

A very hard thing during my trip to deal with was the unfortunate people that we couldn’t help and had to refer to the hospital. When this happened, it broke my heart to know they would more than likely never see a doctor for their needs either because of cost or transportation barriers. A lady in her 70’s came in with a very large diabetic foot ulcer that was so infected, it had necrotic tissue surrounding the area and had impeded circulation to that foot; she had had this ulcer for over a year. It was obvious to us in health care there was not many options for the future other than amputation. All I could do at this point is pray for this lady.

Our team had the privilege to serve and help over 700 people of Honduras. I want to thank One Nurse at a Time for helping me make this trip possible. The team I traveled with as well as the staff at The Friends of Barnabas Foundation made me feel as though Honduras was a second home for me. I hope I have the opportunity to make this trip again and help other the many other villages in need.

~Lauren Johnson

Lauren Johnson, RN,BSN, was born in raised in Chesterfield, VA and now is a critical care nurse in Pinehurst, NC. Lauren grew up in an amazingly loving family who taught her to care for others from the beginning. She spent most of her youth playing competitive softball which led her to Lenoir Rhyne College in Hickory, NC on an academic and softball scholarship. There she started her nursing education and fell in love. She soon found that her studies would have to take precedence over softball, and moved back home to Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA to finish her nursing degree. After accepting a job in a medical/neuro ICU in Pinehurst, NC, Lauren started to see why nursing is such a blessed profession. Not only does she love going to work to care for others, but the joy of being able to help in an extreme time of need makes each day worthwhile

A Day in the Life of Terese

2011-07-14T21:16:00.000-05:00

The day marked my fourth month in Belize. My husband, Norm, and I had spent weeks and shed buckets of sweat turning a dirty, dilapidated corner of a building into a medical clinic for women. Since then, day after day, for long hours I attended to patients while geckos climbed the walls and termites built fresh trails on the ceiling over my exam table.

Though I was a nurse, my duties had expanded beyond providing basic health care. I also disposed of the occasional dead rat on the path to the clinic, swept mounds of dead bugs from the floor, and waged daily war against mosquitoes big enough to ride. Once I even armed myself with a machete and battled an opossum that wanted to make my clinic his home. But on the day that marked my fourth month in this tropical country, I was taking a much-needed break from work. For one day, at least, I would be Nancy- the- Photographer and not Nancy- the- Nurse.....

By Nancy Leigh Harless BSN, WCHNP and Director Communications for One Nurse At A Time. Read the entire story at: http://www.nursetogether.com/Community/Volunteer-Article/itemId/2654/A-Day-in-the-Life-of-Terese.aspx

DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS RECRUITMENT INFORMATION SESSIONS - PORTLAND & SEATTLE

2011-07-08T22:39:00.003-05:00

PUT YOUR IDEALS INTO PRACTICE:

Every day, Doctors Without Borders aid workers from around the world provide assistance to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe – treating those most in need regardless of political, religious, or economic interest. Whether an emergency involves armed conflicts or epidemics, malnutrition or natural disasters, Doctors Without Borders is committed to bringing quality medical care to people caught in crisis.

On on July 25th in Portland, and on July 26th in Seattle, medical and non-medical professionals are invited to join us for a presentation to learn more about how you can join Doctors Without Borders' pool of dedicated aid workers. You'll meet experienced Doctors Without Borders aid workers from the Seattle area and hear firsthand stories of "life in the field." Aid worker and recruiter Melissa Bieri will discuss requirements and the application process.

Monday, July 25, 2011 - 7:00PM (PT)

REI Portland

1405 NW Johnson St

Portland, OR 97209

For more information and to register for Portland please visit: http://msfportlandinfosession072511.eventbrite.com/

Tuesday, July 26, 2011 - 7:00PM (PT)

REI Seattle

222 Yale Avenue N

Seattle, WA 98109

For more information and to register for Seattle please visit: http://msfseattleinfosession072611.eventbrite.com/

Working as a Team in San Raymundo

2011-07-05T10:10:00.001-05:00

The very best thing about the Medical Mission trip with Refuge International was working with a group of professionals who are skilled in giving care, and cared deeply about the people they were giving care to. We worked as a team, and everyone was there to help. So many of our patients had extraordinary stories: men who worked in blazing sun without hats or water, children who had played with gun powder to make fireworks with an open fire, with disastrous results (hideous scaring), and women who waited years and had come hours on a bus ride to be relieved of their daily pain from uterine fibroids are three examples. We had a couple of terminal cancer patients and everyone in the mission was aware of them, concerned for them, and prayed for them to be eased of their suffering. I would be thrilled to go back every month to work at that clinic!

Gretchen Mettler graduated from Kent State University with a BA in Political Science in 1974. In 1978 she got her Associate Degree in Nursing from Youngstown State University, then completed her BSN and MS from the University of Minnesota in 1984. Gretchen has worked in variety of settings as a Certified Nurse Midwife including a hospital affiliated birth center, a community hospital, and private practice, a federally funded community health center, and University Hospitals of Cleveland in the Women's Health Center, where she cares for a mostly urban, impoverished and socially marginalized population. Gretchen lives in Cleveland, Ohio with an 11 year old "rescued” black standard poodle, Willie, 2 cats, Kittie and Nell. She loves to relax by gardening, cooking, reading or enjoys a wide variety of music Gretchen is the principle care giver to an aunt who will be 95 in May and her greatest accomplishment is being a mother to 19 year old, Liza, who is a college sophomore. Gretchen was our second scholarship recipient for 2011. she served with Refuge International in San Raymundo, Guatemala from Feb 17-27, 2011.

One Common Ground - A Nurse's Experience

2011-06-30T14:18:00.002-05:00

Do you know about all the American boys in Kosovo? They were there to protect the peace. They were everywhere! And not just Americans – Peacekeeping Forces from all over the world including Russia, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Sweden and America were stationed in Kosovo. I was there too, celebrating the millennium summer, working as a nurse practitioner in the war recovery effort. I was privileged to be working in a Maternal Child Health Program in Gjilane, Kosovo.....

One afternoon on the way to my café, I passed a parked Hummer on the corner. In the portal cut from the roof of the Hummer stood two young soldiers facing in opposite directions so they could view the street in both directions. Each held a machine gun. As I neared the corner I caught the eye of the young man that faced me, with his gun pointing toward my heart. He was a tall boy, about 18 years old, with solemn brown eyes and dark skin. He looked straight ahead with a stern and serious expression on his face.

I wondered how these young men feel about the big responsibility they had been given. They were all very young men, boys really, in their late teens or early twenties. Living so far away from home and not being allowed by the military to socialize among the local people, they must surely feel lonely.

As I caught the young man's eye, I stop walking and smiled at him. His expression remained unchanged, still, stern, serious and grim. Then I pointed to myself and silently spelled out a single word A-M-E-R-I-C-A-N, smiled and then gave a little wave. His serious posture shifted. A wide grin spread over his face as he gave a small nod in my direction. We had connected. Although far, far away from the “land of the free and the home of the brave, we were on common ground.

By Nancy Leigh Harless, BSN, WCHNP and Director Communications for One Nurse At A Time worked with International Medical Corp in the post-Balkan War recovery effort in Gjalen, Kosovo during the summer of 2000. Read the entire article at: http://www.nursetogether.com/Volunteer/VolunteerArticle/tabid/360/itemId/2629/On-Common-Ground-A-Nurses-Experience.aspx

IN MEMORY: Jo Schuyler an Ardent Supportor and Longtime Friend

2011-06-24T10:00:00.004-05:00

Marilyn Jo Schuyler loved life, her husband, friends, hard work and golf. Our lives joined 25 years ago, and we were closer than sisters. Since the first ideas of One Nurse At A Time began to formulate, Jo was an ardent supporter. As I expounded on my ideas to change the world by helping nurses volunteer, she would listen, encourage and counsel. Jo and her husband David financially supported our cause, and last year arranged for One Nurse to be the holiday charity for her Inglewood Women's Golf Club. I think Jo bought and gave away more Nurses Beyond Borders books than even we contributers! She was so proud of our work.

Jo grew up in small town South Dakota, and moved to San Francisco with her high school sweetheart and daughter in the height of Peace and Love of the 60's and 70's. Besides being a teacher and accomplished musician, she volunteered much of her time with housing and social issues so important at the time. Moving to Seattle she became a CPA and eventually my roommate. My husband and I introduced her to David Schuyler. Immediately, they knew they'd met the love of their lives,married and spent the past 21 years together. Our families joined -my mother was Jo's matron of honor at her wedding. Our siblings,children and parents all came together for holiday celebrations.

Once she retired, she and David became golfaholics. Even as she battled cancer - first breast, then colon, then lung - she would have chemo treatments one week and golf the next. The clubhouse was her church and the members were her extended family. Her greatest trophy was "Most Improved" in her first year of playing.

Jo left us on June 2 of this year, her beloveds in attendance. None of us know how we will adjust to a future without her. But we will set a place for her this Thanksgiving, toast her spirit and give

thanks to her for bringing us together.

She asked that memorial donations be given to One Nurse At A Time - nurse scholarships will be given in her name to further the work she so ardently supported.

Sue Averill, President One Nurse AT A Time

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others. ~Pericles

Remembrances in Jo's honor can be sent to to One Nurse at a Time, 7747 38th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98115

The Small Scheme of Life

2011-06-20T08:34:00.002-05:00

As a nurse you can end up taking care of anybody. After a prison riot you stitch up the eyebrows of guards and the ears of convicted bank robbers. You give bed baths to senators and kneel to cut the toenails of rapists. And if you really believe that healthcare is a right, not a privilege, you may end up taking care of both the victims and perpetrators of war.

In 1994, I was working as a public health nurse in a refugee camp for Rwandan refugees, which served the Hutus who had crossed into the eastern Congo and killed about 800,000 of their fellow Tutsi countrymen. At the time it was assumed that perhaps 20,000 Hutu had participated in the genocide, and these were included among the million Hutu refugees. No one really knew. I was there working during the shigellosis, cholera, and meningitis epidemics that were exacting a certain revenge on the Hutus. The first day, I counted 2,000 dead bodies.

This refugee camp, Mugunga, crowded people onto a site on the aptly named Mountains of the Moon as tightly as if all of Seattle had moved their families into plastic pup tents on a few vacant city blocks.

The world here was tilted. Steep slopes bearing banana and papaya trees fell from smoking volcanoes into a huge lake that weeks earlier had been clotted with bodies, and weeks before that had been a water-skiing resort. The first bodies in the waters were Tutsis who had floated from Rwanda after the genocide. Then those disappeared and were replaced by other bodies, Hutus and Congolese who had been stricken by shigella and cholera. Everyone—refugees, genocidists, foreign workers, U.N. forces, and the evil Zairian military in their jaunty red berets—shared, if nothing else, an unsettling concern about the disturbingly active volcano. We all cast an occasional eye on its red glow and ensuing plumes.

We had divided the estimated 300,000 persons in this camp into sections of about 100 households. In my job as the public health coordinator, I walked through each of my sections to check in with my Rwandan staff about the birth and death tolls that we used to see whether the situation was improving or worsening.

To get to Section B, I walked through the narrow spaces that separated the blue plastic sheets that formed shelters. The refugees called these sheetings, which the French aid workers unfailingly corrected to plastiques—as if corruption of the French language were the issue here most at stake.

I walked between the sheetings and over to Beane, the head worker in Section B. He handed me his tally paper, on which he tracked the day’s events of the 100 families in his section. On the paper were marked the causes of the four deaths: diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, watery diarrhea, and in slanted letters, Tutsi.

“Tutsi?” I asked. He took me over to the exposed body of a woman. Usually families or even strangers wrapped bodies in reed mats or in blankets and laid them out on the side of the road for the cemetery workers to pick up in the daily truck run. Usually only feet stuck out the end. The woman was lying with her arms and legs splayed in an X. Around her was the only open space in the entire camp. It looked as though someone had cut her under her arms with a machete and then pulled until her shoulders had dislocated and she bled out. It was a tilted place... (Excerpt taken from "In the small Scheme of Life,"by Mary Catlin, MPH, BSN. Read her entire compelling story in the book, NURSE BEYOND BORDERS.)

Book Review by KOBO Books - NURSES BEYOND BORDERS

2011-06-19T14:45:00.001-05:00

In Israel, a young nurse arrives seeking fun, romance, and danger-and leaves with the knowledge that we must care for our enemies as well as our friends. Struggling to save a once-healthy child, a veteran nurse working in Liberia fights language barriers and a lack of supplies. As she assists in an emergency C-section in the jungles of Guatemala, a nurse witnesses both unbearable pain and true joy, all in the space of 24 hours. A nurse suffering from her own losses creates order from chaos in a crowded Chinese orphanage-and learns about fate, faith, and hope. Every year, thousands of nurses travel abroad, hoping to ease suffering, save lives, and make a difference in countries other than their own. Each one has a story to tell. Award-winning author and travel nurse Nancy Leigh Harless shares a fascinating collection of true stories from dedicated nurses. In this inspiring anthology, they share their experiences working in Honduras, Laos, Chad, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Mexico, Cambodia, and beyond, where the languages, procedures, equipment, and even the doctors may be incredibly different from their home countries-but where the ultimate goal of providing excellent care and utmost compassion remains the same.

A limited number of print copies of this book are available through ONE NURSE AT A TIME. $15/copy plus shipping. Email suen@onenurseatatime to place your order today! All proceeds go toward scholarships for nurses who volunteer abroad. One nurse at a time you can help us change the world!

Scholarship Nurses Embark on Their Journeys

2011-06-13T10:28:00.010-05:00

Every year, thousands of people travel abroad, hoping to ease suffering, save lives and make a difference in countries other than their own. Each has a story to tell. Each one has learned more than he or she ever could have imagined about other cultures -- and about themselves. This week One Nurse At A Time has THREE scholarships nurses heading out on medical missions. They are special nurses who are about to embark on a great adventure. Laura Brown is returning to Haiti; Lauren Johnson will be working in Honduras; and Susannah Watts will be providing anesthesia in Niger. One nurse at a time these women are making a difference! Please hold them in your thoughts and prayers and join me in wishing them a safe journey.

The heart of a volunteer is not measured in size, but by the depth of the commitment to make a difference in the lives of others." ~ DeAnn Hollis

ONE NURSE AT A TIME ia a 501 (c)(3) non profit organization created by nurses who are passionate about giving back to our local and global community through volunteer and humanitarian medical pursuits. We are dedicated to assisting other nurses enhance our profession as they too, look for opportunities to serve locally, nationally and internationally. HAve YOU ever wanted to volunteer your nursing skills to those in need, but are unsure of how to get started? We are here to help make the process easier. check out our website: http://www.onenureatatime.org/ and then email your questions. Remember: the life you change may be your own!

“The ultimate expression of generosity is not in giving of what you have, but in giving of who you are.” ~ Johnnetta B. Cole

What can One Nurse At A Time offer you?

A DIRECTORY of organizations offering volunteer opportunities for nurses.

SCHOLARSHIPS to nurses to help offset the cost of trips.

COMMUNITY networking opportunities through highlighting speaking engagements, public events, publication of articles and a discussion forum for exchange of volunteer and humanitarian nursing experiences

And, coming soon: EDUCATION MODULES to prepare you for humanitarian nursing!

"Individuality we are a drop; together we are an ocean." ~Ryunosuke Satoro

http://www.onenurseatatime.org/

ONE NURSE AT A TIME ELECTS NEW BOARD MEMBER

2011-06-10T21:03:00.003-05:00

For Kristi Whiton, RN, BSN, nursing and the health care field has been an integral part of her life since childhood. Her earliest childhood memories revolve around watching both her grandmother and mother as nurses in their related fields. She started her nursing career shortly after graduating from high school. After enrolling in a CNA program she had a clear signal that pursuing her RN was in her near future.

Kristi attended Bellingham Technical College for her LPN and Skagit Valley College for her RN. She also obtained her Associates of Integrated Science degree at Cascadia Community College in Bothell. Recently Kristi graduated from the University of Phoenix online program with her BSN and has now applied for the Masters of Nursing program at the University of Washington and hopes to eventually obtain her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.

Kristi has worked in several areas: clinics, nursing homes, medical surgical floors and emergency departments. She has been a charge nurse, an emergency department assistant manager, trauma program manager and educator in the ED. She is currently employed as a perdiem nurse in the ED and works part time at a local technical college as a part-time nursing instructor. She recently received two awards in 2011 from her current place of work: 2011 Distinguished Service Award for leadership and contribution to the Telestroke Program and 2011 Excellence in Leadership as a Manager Award.

Travel has been a big part of Kristi’s life, she has traveled to many countries throughout the world and hopes to take her family along with her in the future. She also is an avid hiker, skier and enjoys boating with her family.

Kristi is a member of Emergency Nurses Association and American Trauma Society. This fall Kristi will be traveling with People to People Emergency and Trauma Nursing Delegation to China. Her volunteer work has been varied, she has volunteered through Kiwanis, Food Co-op's and at her local church. Her excitement about humanitarian work came shortly after her first meeting with Staci.

After her brief introduction to Co-founder, Staci Kelley’s work at One Nurse at a Time, Kristi was hooked. She knew she wanted to be part of this movement towards getting other nurses involved in humanitarian nursing. Kristi is extremely excited to be part of One Nurse At A Time, and to service on the board. She is honored to be part of an organization dedicated to improving humanitarian nurses’ availability to helping people around the world.

Delta Kappa Gamma Features "One Nurse At A Time" Speaker

2011-06-08T15:02:00.005-05:00

One Nurse At A Time Director Communications, Nancy Leigh Harless will speak about humanitarian nursing at the Iowa State Teachers Conference on Saturday, June 11 and read from her latest book: Nurses Beyond Borders, an anthology written by nurses who have volunteered abroad. Books will be offered for sale following - $15/copy. All proceeds go toward nursing scholarships. Nancy speaks about how she became interested in humanitarian nursing several years ago. In her own words:

In 1997 I was chosen to be part of a professional exchange program to Guatemala and Belize sponsored by The Rotary International. We arrived in Guatemala City only three months after the peace treaty was signed that ended a more than 30-year Civil War. It was a life-changing month of contrasts spent exploring other cultures from the inside. I waltzed at the Ambassador’s Ball among men wearing Armani suits and women dressed in sequins and satin, then visited a remote mountain village where barefoot women ground corn by hand as they prepared the daily meal of tortillas. I visited private clinics decorated more lavishly than anything I ever seen in the States; then visited a public hospital where trash lined the hallways, and the women crowded together two-to-a-bed after they delivered their babies.

I felt as though I’d been plucked from my safe American home, tumbled about in a whirlwind for a month, then set back down in the same small Midwestern spot where nothing had changed, but for me nothing would ever be the same again. A fire and a fury unleashed inside. I wanted to explore -- to see inside other cultures, understand their people, and make every place I visited better in some small way, particularly as it related to healthcare. I have been involved with volunteer nursing ever since and worked with medical missions in Belize, Guatemala, Kosovo and Mexico; as well as serving with the American Red Cross in Iowa.

I am proud to be part of an organization that provides support for nurses to give back to communities in distress both locally and globally. My hope is that through our support more nurses will make volunteerism an integral part of their lives at home; and that they will reach out to provide both the art and the science of nursing around the world.

~Nancy

Nancy Leigh Harless, RN, BSN, WCHNP worked with International Medical Corp in the post-Balkan War recovery effort in Gjalen, Kosovo and with Belize Family Life Association in southern Belize. She is also an award winning poet and writer. Her poems and stories have been included in many anthologies as well as many professional and literary journals. She is the author of Womankind: Connection & Wisdom around the World, a collection of short stories gleaned from her international nursing experiences and travels. And Editor for the books To the Rescue (Kaplan, Sept, 2009) and Nurses Beyond Border (Kaplan,Sept 2010). Nancy serves on the board for One Nurse At A Time.

Haiti mission 2011

2011-05-30T10:46:00.000-05:00

One year after the devastating earthquake rocked the world of Haitian people, I traveled to Port-au-Prince with Project Medishare out of Miami University. My one week deployment was marked by sensory overload. There was the hot sun, the humidity, the mosquitoes. Proud Haitian citizens lined the streets in their colorful garb. The roads were bumpy and strewn with cement chunks. Tent City extended as far as the eye can see. One can only imagine life under those tarps. I learned that they are ruled by self-proclaimed "chiefs". Children are sold for money; they must work for their new families.

Bernard Mevs / Project Medishare Hospital is within a gated compound of structured buildings now, re-located from the tent hospital at the airport approximately 6 months ago. It is the only critical care / trauma hospital in Haiti. The hospital accommodates approximately 30 patients.

The facilities within the compound for the volunteers are adequate at best. Bottled water is provided, however running water to bathe shuts down frequently. Haitian food is provided at 10am & 2pm. It is an acquired taste that is difficult to acquire within one week. Lodging is a small room packed with bunk beds, plywood walls & a dirt floor. Generated electricity will go out periodically throughout the day for brief intervals. Homeless persons are everywhere, even within our gated hospital.

I worked in the Emergency area from 6pm - 6am for seven consecutive nights. Countless people benefited as a direct result of the volunteers. Not speaking Creole was easily solved. Interpreters were readily available and invaluable for patient teaching. But by far, the best communication with the Haitians was a warm smile, gentle touch, and eye contact.

Patients came in a continuous flow through the Emergency area. Some were routine visits: 32 year-old man with a kidney stone, 18 year-old girl in sickle cell crisis needing IV fluids, Congestive Heart Failure patient treated with medications and released. She surely would have been admitted to the hospital if in the United States. A woman with an intracerebral hemorrhage and very poor prognosis was loaded into the back of a truck by her family to go home to die. Malaria and typhoid were among the complaints.

Lots of pediatric patients came to ED for a variety of problems. A sixteen year-old cholera patient was to be transferred to "cholera camp”; transportation was in an open pick-up truck in the rain. A 24 hour old newborn had umbilical oozing; fortunately it was not infected, the "string" was not tied tight enough. The physician clamped it with a traditional clamp. A lifeless four-year old girl was brought in by her father. She was electrocuted from faulty power. The father brandished a gun threatening to kill the mother. He was detained by the police. A 13-year old girl in the pediatrics unit needed mitral valve surgery; she arrested and died on Tuesday. Her transportation to the United States for surgery was scheduled for Thursday. The premies in NICU cling to life. There are no NICU ventilators, yet even a 0.7 Kg baby survived for days. These patients and families need to be held and comforted. As nurses, we can provide solace and compassion. These patients and families are not demanding at all. A smile, a word, a touch are appreciated; their eyes tell it all.

There were many trauma patients brought to the facility. We treated many lacerations, contusions, and wounds. Some were a result of rocks being thrown. There is rioting in the area due to political dissent. Rioting, for the most part, consists of the people throwing the cement rocks. Some trauma patients were due to basic lack of safety, especially driving. Cars are precious commodities; they are packed with people hanging out of the vehicle (some without any doors). The bumpy roads would eject passengers while the driver drove fast and furious! Small buses called "Tap-taps" raced through the roads. The passengers “tapped” the top of the bus to signal for a stop.

The most disturbing trauma patients were from street violence. Civil unrest undermines basic humanitarism. A twenty year-old male was brought in with a screwdriver rammed completely through his head. He had resisted when two men tried to take his cell phone. Domestic abuse is common. Women came in severely beaten by their spouses. An adult male patient came in with a head bleed, pneumothorax, and fractures. He had been caught stealing and the police had beaten him. They had him handcuffed to the gurney despite the injuries.

Supplies are meager. It is not uncommon to wash specimen containers or medication cups to re-use. Ability to improvise is essential. The experience has given stewardship a whole new priority for me. There is one C-t scanner available, however it is a two hour journey to get there. C-t scans do not get ordered unless absolutely critical to the outcome of the patient.

The American volunteers gather on the roof in the evenings. The wind is gentle, the moon is full, and we are all going through the same incredible experience. The comradery is almost palpable. We bonded in a special way and continue to exchange e-mails and photos. Our departure was of many mixed emotions. This experience will take time to process.

I hope that my work serving others is a testament to the mission of Providence.

A sense of pride, fulfillment, awe, and selflessness are my gifts as a direct result of my mission to Haiti. by Jo Birdsong

Jo Birdsong is planning a medical mission to Haiti in July 2011 with Project Helping Hands. This will be a two-week deployment working outdoor clinics, as well as outreach to the Tent Cities and orphanages. One Nurse At A Time awarded her a $1000 scholarship to help defray her expenses for this mission.

Helping One Patient at a Time

2011-05-25T10:45:00.000-05:00

For the past two months, I worked at a sexual violence project in Guatemala City for Doctors Without Borders/Medicos Sin Fronteras or MSF. I'd travelled several times to this beautiful, culturally diverse country, but was not aware of the rising violence. Guatemala and other Central American countries are on the transportation path of cocaine shipments to the US. With increased drug activity, narco-traffic has exploded as have gangs. Murder rates are phenomenal - 16 to 18 a day in the capital city!

Guatemala also has a legacy of atrocities committed against the civilian population during the two decade civil war. Remnants of that war include a culture of fear and silence. Atrocities such as rape continue in the public eye, but that eye is blindly turned away. The judicial system is ineffective, rarely prosecuting offenders (5% of cases get to court).

Fortunately, I was not on the front line hearing the horrific stories, but our doctors and psychologists and social workers gave emergency attention to these vulnerable patients. The majority are women and attacks come from unknown assailants. But the victims are also children violated in their own homes by relatives. And "secondary victims" such as family members also require psychological assistance.

My role was Medical Coordinator, overall in charge of the medical aspects of the program. One task was to write the protocols for our program in Guatemala. The government has their protocol, but it's based on cheap and available drugs, and not based on sound medical science. For example, gonnorhea is treated with Cipro and Hepatitis B vaccine is not available. MSF is more nimble and well funded and can provide quality care free of charge to all.

One of my biggest challenges was to begin the conversation about elective termination of pregnancy in a country where it is illegal. Obviously, in the case of pregnancy from rape, many women will request abortion. And MSF's position is to assist women in their reproductive health decisions regardless of legalities. Credible organizations exist who will properly perform terminations, but with coded phone calls and confidential exchange of information. The team, in the Guatemalan spirit of fear and silence, had never spoken openly about this issue although women had made requests for these services. Once we opened the conversation and discussed the way forward, the doctors and psychologists and social workers breathed a collective sigh of relief to have ideas shared in the open.

MSF is opening another violence program in Honduras where the violence, amazingly enough, is even worse. The murder rate is higher. Statistics are hard to obtain for sexual violence, but the needs are great. And contraception is illegal.

I tell myself, we are here to help because the system is failing. Changes and improvements come slowly. But we can help one patient at a time.

Sue Averill, RN, BSN, MBA
co-founder One Nurse At A Time

Encountering Medical Missions

2011-05-22T06:34:00.002-05:00

The Encountering Medical Missions conference was a huge success! I talked with tons of nurses who were interested in going on their first medical mission and they were excited to find out about One Nurse At A Time and the Directory you have on your website and the scholarships you offer for nurses to help others. One nurse said: “It is great to find out about an organization like this one that is right in the northwest out of Seattle.” It was amazing to talk to others who feel the same way!

Thanks,

Becky Elder, FNP

Medical Mission with Hearts in Motion

Guatemala January 2011

ONE NURSE AT A TIME is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization created by nurses who are passionate about giving back to our local and global community through volunteer and humanitarian medical pursuits. We are dedicated to assisting other nurses enhance our profession as they too, look for opportunities to serve locally, nationally and internationally. Are you interested in volunteering your nursing skills to those in need, but unsure of how to get started? We are here to help make the process easier. Visit our website www.onenurseatatime.org and follow our blog and follow us on Facebook.

Time in Tanzania

2011-05-13T20:29:00.002-05:00

My three weeks in Tanzania exceeded by far any expectations I might have had. I had unreal experiences, worked with exceptional people (both Americans and Tanzanians), and learned invaluable life lessons. We had three weeks of successful clinics including eyeglass, HIV, general medical, and veterinary clinics. I was able to spend about equal time in all but the veterinary. Animals are not my thing. :) Close to 1,000 people received glasses, approximately 600 people were HIV tested and counseled, and close to 700 people were seen in the medical clinic.
While the eye clinic was pretty straightforward, there’s not much more satisfying than seeing a person’s eyes light up when they put on a pair of eyeglasses and can really see for the first time. The HIV clinic could be challenging and disheartening, but a huge fight against the spread of HIV is education and having people know their status and we were able to do a huge amount of testing and so much valuable counseling.
The medical clinics were incredibly rewarding to be a part of, but working with the local doctors, nurses, and interpreters was a treasure. They are such resilient people, and while they may not have much, what they have, both physically and vocational skills, they give fully to their people. They showed me what it means to live passionately and wholly for what is true and right. God has blessed me with the skills and passion for nursing and I love that it’s a profession that can so easily and greatly affect the world we live in. I cannot thank One Nurse At A Time enough for helping to make this opportunity a reality for me. After this experience, I look forward to the next time I am able to use my nursing overseas to change the world. I plan on continuing working with e3 leading medical clinics overseas and working more in depth with their HIV and sustainable community program.

Suzanne Browning

Suzanne Browning, RN, BSN, CCRN. Suzanne is an ICU RN with experience in Medical, Surgical, Transplant, and Neuro units. She is currently working as an ICU travel RN doing short-term assignments across the country. In addition, she serves on the medical board as the Coordinator of Strategic Partnerships for e3 Partners Ministry. Along with her role on the board, she organizes and leads medical clinics overseas in third world countries, most recently including Bolivia and Tanzania. When not traveling, Suzanne's permanent residence is in Seattle, Washington. Suzanne volunteered as a ONAAT nurse with e3 Partners Ministry in Arusha and Tabera, Tanzania. They held three weeks of successful clinics from May 8 through May 30, 2010.

WE HONOR ALL NURSES DURING NURSES WEEK

2011-05-06T13:47:00.002-05:00

You are unique. You provide more than 80% of healthcare delivery worldwide. You practice many different roles in diverse settings. You prevent injury and disease. You teach patients and families and communities. You care for the sick; you care for the dying. You understand the art, and the science of your profession. And, everyday you are gifted a glimpse of both the suffering, and the strenghth of the human condition. You shine in every corner of the world. You are unique. You Are a NURSE! And you can change the world…..one nurse at a time.

WELCOME MARTHA HOLLEY - JONES !

2011-05-02T15:05:00.002-05:00

We'd like to welcome Martha Holley-Jones to the team of volunteers at One Nurse At A Time. Martha has just come on board as Scholarship Coordinator. She is a wife, a mother of one son; 2 pugs; and one cat. She has been a nurse for over 30 years and is employed as a medical record review nurse for UPMC Health Plan. Previously, she worked full-time for 25 years at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, on a surgical unit and then in the Emergency Department.

An orphan herself, she has always had a heart for at-risk children and was able to serve domestically as a foster parent for several years. Since leaving acute care nursing, she has been able to serve on two medical mission trips to Senegal, West Africa and two mission trips to care for orphans and at-risk children in Honduras and Haiti.

When she’s not traveling she serves with a ministry called OrphanCare, volunteers with the Women’s Choice Network in Pittsburgh. Works in stained glass, gardens, and otherwise keeps her hands very busy! Here's what Martha had to say about joining One Nurse At A Time:

"It’s my honor to join “One Nurse at a Time” as the Scholarship Coordinator. When my path crossed with theirs, I was so encouraged to see an organization out there that desired to get nurses more involved in volunteering and humanitarian efforts. I too have a heart to encourage nurses to serve and I hope to foster their involvement by providing financial support to those nurses dedicated to stepping out and making a global impact. "

We still have plenty of jobs for more volunteers. Email us at onenurseatatime@gmail.com to express interest and dialogue about what you can do to promote volunteer nursing at home and around the world. We look forward to hearing from you!

History in the Making - Michelle (Mickey) Guerreo

2011-04-27T13:26:00.001-05:00

The stethoscope give-a-way was by far the biggest hit. We took it back to basics for the nurses, and we can tell that it was really useful information for them. During the Respiratory sounds lecture, we taught them how to wear the stethoscopes and use them to assess heart and lung sounds. Most of the nurses had never used a stethoscope before. It was amazing to see the change that came over the nurses when they realized they were going to receive the stethoscopes they were practicing with.

Vietnam is still very much a Communist country, control and permission comes from the top and trickles down. The nurses are on the bottom of that chain. They need permission to do anything. Right now, their job is to wait for orders to be given to them, and do not make any patient care decisions without contacting the doctor first, if that doctor is wrong, or prescribes the wrong drug or dosage, the nurse is still responsible to carry out his order and dare not question it. The nurses are not seen as intelligent enough to perform physical assessments or interpret test results, only doctors carry out those types of tasks. In a code situation, you will see 4 or 5 doctors and no nurses.Also, the Vietnamese people take very long lunches during mid-day; the break is about 2 hours, and all work stops. The hospital halls are empty, and family members can be seen outside the patient rooms cooking and enjoying meals together.

There is a strong family presence in Vietnam, family is required to provide bed linen, patient clothing and meals. There is even a building on campus to house the family of patients that are in a visiting hour restricted unit like ICU.

I have never had to give a speech before, and I spoke twice at the opening and closing ceremonies. The heads of the VN government were there, as well as respected American physicians like the past and current President of ACEP and IFEM. Also, the weather in Hue during spring is usually sunny and warm; while we were there it was neither. Each day was wet and cold!

Touring Hue Central Hospital, the hospital version of a CNO gave us a very up close tour. I found it important to see the area and real life experience of the VN nurse. I met with many patients, doctors and family members, and heard the patients’ stories. We even got to see the Vietnams' first heart transplant recipient. I met a patient in the ICU who spoke perfect English, and he held our hands and thanked us with tears in his eyes for our presence and helping the hospital.

One of my favorite experiences was during the nursing conference. We were given two English speaking VN physicians to make sure our content was being translated correctly. During one of the days, a conversation during the “Tubes and Lines” lecture broke out into a full blown conversation between these two doctors and the nurses. I was amazed. It was history in the making. The nurses voice was being acknowledged in a way that we hadn't expected. They were sharing information on an equal level. To me that was the most amazing break through.

~Mickey Guerreo

Michelle (Mickey) Guerreo, RN was our fourth scholarship recipient in 2011. MIckey will graduate with her BSN in September. She has been an ER nurse at a 60 bed inner city Emergency Department for seven 7 years, and the night shift charge nurse for two of those years. Prior to being a nurse, Mickey worked as a unit coordinator in the ER and post-op units. Mickey is passionate about, and dedicated to Emergency Nursing. She is active in her hospital community, as well as her local and church community. Mickey travels to Vietnam for three weeks, once a year, to lecture on Emergency Nursing and procedures. In 2011 she was the Co-Chair of the Vietnam EM Symposium and organized the whole thing. It is her travels that have prompted her to advance her career. Her goal is a Masters in Public Health.

WORLD MALARIA DAY 2011

2011-04-25T18:40:00.001-05:00

About half of the world's population, are at risk of contracting malaria, especially those living in developing countries. World Malaria Day 2011 is a time for examining the progress made towards malaria control and elimination. Progress is being made but there is still much work to be done. We at ONAAT salute everyone engaged in the admirable goal of erradicating malaria by 2015.

Read below an excerpt from "T-Girl" by Sue Averill, a real-life story of the price malaria extracts.

"She came at the end of another hot humid day when even a sip of water instantly erupted onto our skin as sticky smelly sweat. We’d learned if you don’t drink, you don’t sweat, although the nurse in me wondered how our kidneys were faring. With an exhausted sigh and stretch of cramped muscles, I finished my line of 100 patients in the crumbling structure of Kakata Internally displaced Persons (IDP) Camp and glanced toward the entranceway. There was a thin, ragged child lying unconscious on a straw mat on the filthy concrete floor. Her breathing was rapid and shallow and not a sound came from her parted cracked lips.".....from "T-girl by Sue Averill

I WILL NEVER FORGET

2011-04-17T14:24:00.006-05:00

Ecuador was AMAZING!I had such a great time. It was so different from what I expected, but in the best way possible. Our team was remarkable; we all clicked right away from the first day of meeting each other.

On Sunday, we performed screenings all day of the children who came to be evaluated. We screened over 48 kids and performed 28 surgeries over five days. I learned so much and had plenty of opportunities to practice my Spanish. It was definitely a learning experience which needed flexibility!

The first day of surgeries went kind of slow because we were learning where everything was, best ways to communicate (who needed to interpret) and developing our flow. The nurses there in the OR were fabulous, so shy of us at first, but by the second day, they were joking with us in Spanish and asking favors and teaching us about their culture.

For me, since I spoke some Spanish, I connected more. It is like my world paused for a week, and I was able to get a glimpse of life there in the town we were in, in the hospital we were in and with all the staff. I felt like I was treated normal, like one of them. They included us, it was like one big hug the entire week, like open arms. Everyone in the small hospital was so curious to see us and talk with us; the OR was full most of the time.

The women down there astonished me! The OR would have other procedures going on at the same time as our operations, women would come in to have their babies every day, we would see them go into the birthing room, then a few minutes later, no noise or screaming, they would roll them into the recuperation room and a few minutes after that bring the baby to latch on.

The kids and their parents affected me most. Each was so different and so special. We operated on all ages from 2 months to 15 years. Mostly cleft lips, palates and scar reconstructions (from burns). So sad to hear some of their stories. On the fourth day, we had a 6 yr old boy come in for surgery; his dad was soooo nervous and scared, more than the patient! After the surgery I went to update his parents, but only the mom was there. I updated her and returned to the OR. Later I learned that the dad had gone to buy a Popsicle for Dr George (our main surgeon), as a thank you! Oh my goodness that twisted my heart like no other! To think the only thing that you think of or can do is buy a Popsicle for the surgeon! No one in the states would even think to do it, nor would a doctor much appreciate it. It my touched my heart.

One 13 year old’s father didn’t even want him to come; the boy only let his mom talk to us during screenings, and would keep his hand over his mouth after surgery was done. (palate) Before the surgery he was so nervous, I was trying to get him to talk to me, so I could calm any fears, I had my mp3 with me (English and Spanish songs), I asked him if he would like to listen to some and he nodded yes! It really was the little things I tried to focus on. God bless them, they fumbled through my Spanish with me! ha-ha, but I would think it would be even scarier to not only go in for surgery with a condition you have been living with since birth, but by foreigners as well.

By the end of the week, when everyone had exchanged directions and Facebook pages, the nurses started to cry, which made me cry. They all wanted to know when and if our team would be returning soon. It was heartbreaking to not have any answer. I hope so.

I spent some time after hours with them too, going salsa dancing, karaoke (my first time ever, and it was out of the country!) and eating fresh crabs, etc. They taught me a lot about the language and culture, and I tried to learn as fast as I could. I will never forget this trip. I think it is my favorite so far, and I wish to return in the future.

~Laura Weisgerber

ONAAT's third scholarship recipient, Laura Maria Weisgerber, RN, BSN,went on her first medical mission to with Healing the Children to La Troncal, Ecuador from March 12 through March 19th, 2011

Over Coffee With Doctor Z

2011-04-12T20:25:00.002-05:00

During the summer of the year 2000, I was working on a women’s health project in Kosovo as part of the war recovery effort. One fine day, I had an appointment to meet Dr. Z., the director of a health house. A health house is a large facility that provides primary care to residents within a municipality. On the way, Sami, my driver, gave me lessons in speaking the Albanian language; I gave him lessons in American slang.

On our arrival, Dr. Z. greeted us with a warm handshake and grandly showed us into his office. Sami, who served as our translator, told me that Dr. Z. was inviting us to have coffee.

Nothing happens in Kosovo before coffee—or, putting it more aptly, everything in Kosovo happens over coffee. Whether you are in a home, a school, or a hospital, you are always offered Turkish coffee. To decline is unthinkable.

I soon found myself balancing a miniature cup on a child-sized saucer and stirring the contents with a very small spoon. As I sipped the thick, black sludge, flashbacks of drinking mud tea at childhood tea parties danced through my head.

Dr. Z. was eager to learn more about my team’s work with the women from the villages. When I told him about the prenatal care we were providing, he expressed his deep gratitude with the comment, “This we have needed for so long, for our women to have healthy babies.”

We began to talk about gynecological care. I told him how difficult it was to diagnose and treat infections in the stark ambulantas (health care clinics located in rural areas) without a laboratory or even a microscope to guide us. Dr. Z. nodded his head with understanding. The dreary laboratory in his health house could handle only a few basic tests, and the microscope in the corner was gathering
cobwebs, waiting for someone to be trained in its use.

The conversation turned to the subject of family planning. I explained some of the options available to the women, such as condoms, oral contraceptives, and intrauterine devices. But when I mentioned medroxyprogesterone acetate injections, his eyebrows shot up in alarm. Then he and Sami began to engage in animated conversation. I wondered what I had said to cause such a commotion.

Finally, Sami turned to me with a serious expression on his young face and said, “That drug will cause our women to be sterile. It will also cause tumors to grow in their bodies. Dr. Z. asks why are you giving it to our women?”

I tried to assure both Sami and Dr. Z. that medroxyprogesterone injections were safe. I told them that although a woman may encounter a delay in the return to fertility for as long as 18 months after discontinuing use of the drug, she will not experience permanent sterility. I told them that we inform the women of the possible delay and encourage them to use a different method of contraception if they want to conceive in less than a year. I also stressed that this drug absolutely does not cause cancer.

Dr. Z. put his coffee down with a clatter, abruptly left the room, and promptly returned with an open book, which he handed me with a questioning look. It stated that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had not approved the use of medroxyprogesterone in the United States due to its possible carcinogenic effects and association with infertility. I was momentarily dumfounded because I knew with absolute certainty that this was simply not true!

“Your FDA will not even allow it in your country,” he stated firmly, gulping his coffee. “This is a book from my training, my own medical school. It tells me one thing and you are telling me another. How can it be both?”

Finally, the light of understanding dawned on me. I took a deep drink of the strong coffee, even though I knew it would cause a spasm in the back of my throat. I paused to consider how to best handle this delicate situation without embarrassing my host.

After a moment, I turned to the front page of the book, pointed to the 1981 copyright date, and explained that he was absolutely right. When he had attended medical school in the United States, the FDA had not yet approved medroxyprogesterone because not enough was known about it. But after much study, the FDA did approve its use in the United States in 1992. I rifled through my backpack and retrieved an informational pamphlet about prophylactics, including the injectable types, and handed it to him.

“The FDA has approved?” he asked suspiciously as he glanced through the pamphlet. I nodded my head, taking another sip of sludge. “And you, do you recommend it?” he asked with a small sip and a twinkle in his eyes. Steadily meeting his gaze, I replied, “I have recommended it to hundreds of women, even to one of my daughters.”

“Ah, my books are like me; they are old,” he sighed.

I had a book that I wanted to give to him and I promised to bring it with me on my next visit. He thanked me. “I would be so proud to have a new medical book. My English is not so good when I speak, but when I read, especially if it is medical, I very much understand.” Dr. Z. smiled broadly and sat back in his chair.

The only thing left in our cups was the fine ground sediment in the bottom. The meeting was over.

I left the health house hoping that Dr. Z. would offer more contraceptive choices to his patients in the future and become a leader in educating his fellow Kosovan doctors. It could happen, perhaps, after he has read his new medical book—and after more conversations with clinicians from other parts of the world over miniature cups of thick, dark coffee.

by Nancy Leigh Harless, BSN, WCHNP, Director Communications ONAAT

Reprinted with permission from Clinician Reviews. 2001;11(7):99-100. Now on-line at http://www.nursetogether.com/Volunteer/VolunteerArticle/tabid/360/itemId/2462/A-Nurses-Experience-in-Kosovo.aspx

2011-04-09T17:15:00.001-05:00

“The extraordinary nurses’ stories in Nurses Beyond Borders have the power to ignite a movement of international volunteerism. As a nurse, this book reinforces what I already know: wealthier and more technologically advanced countries have a responsibility to help the undeveloped ones, not only through a sense of charity, but in order to promote permanent peace and security. With its insightful glimpses into universal health and safety concerns, this collection incites reflection, examination, and hope. ~ Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea

CHANGING THE WORLD, ONE NURSE AT A TIME

2011-04-05T15:23:00.000-05:00

Working abroad - especially with fewer resources than we are accustomed to - has a way of stretching us. We must adapt our practices to different cultures, languages, lifestyles and approach to health and medical needs. Our “Best Practices” nursing framework has to be set aside and replaced with a “MacGyver Mentality” to do the best we can with what we have at hand.

Humanitarian nursing requires an entirely new skill set. Emergency nurses- with our flexibility, adaptability and broad knowledge base - are uniquely positioned to thrive in this unique environment. Emergency nurses reach out eagerly (although not necessarily without fear) for new, rich experiences "up close and personal" in places we've only read about in National Geographic.

Emergency nurses think on our feet. A 19 gauge injection needle can substitute for an IO in an overwhelming cholera outbreak. A plastic water bottle with the end cut off serves as an inhaler spacer. Duct tape will close a laceration. Acetaminophen works wonders. Smiles, gestures and pantomime substitute for language.

But hands on nursing skills are not all that are required in the complex humanitarian field. Nurses become hospital administrators, teachers and trainers, water and sanitation engineers, midwives, logisticians, project managers. We frequently diagnose, treat and prescribe in the absence of a physician. Few non-governmental organizations have practice standards or guidelines, so nurses must arm ourselves with information prior to travel and herein lies the rub.

The lack of humanitarian nursing resources thwart even the most dedicated internet search. One Nurse At A Time (http://www.onenurseatatime.org/) was created to fill this information void. The goals of the organization are threefold:
* to assist nurses volunteer their skills and knowledge at home and abroad
* to lower the entry barriers for nurses to volunteer
* to educate the public about the roles and contributions of nurses in the humanitarian world

Assistance. The One Nurse At A Time website offers a free, up-to-date directory of national and international organizations using nurses in their programs. It's also a place to ask questions: How do I get started? Where should I go? How do I plan? How can I balance work and family and volunteering?

Future plans are to create a body of freely accessible information covering topics related to humanitarian nursing to help nurses better prepare for unique practice settings.

Scholarships. Volunteer work, by definition, doesn't pay. Many, if not most, international organizations ask nurses to pay their own transportation, room and board, and sometimes a team fee. In order to volunteer, the nurse must also use vacation time or unpaid leave from work. Volunteers often can do one mission, but most can't afford to go frequently. To overcome this hurdle, One Nurse At A Time has a scholarship program offering $1000 to qualified applicants - at least one per quarter. Donations are most welcome and can be made online or by check (information on the website). More donations translate into more scholarships.

Public recognition. Telling our stories in public forums - social networks, articles, public speaking, anthologies like Nurses Beyond Borders (http://www.nursesbeyondborders.com/), reaching out to the public - all help to spread the word about the vital role we nurses play. Although the majority of Americans have some understanding of what nurses do in the United States - working in clinics, hospitals, nursing homes and the community - most of them have no idea what nurses do when they volunteer abroad. We are eager to share our experiences and challenge conventional wisdom about nursing practices in remote settings.

One Nurse At A Time has an ambitious agenda of partnering with hospitals to assist nurses volunteer, organizing a body of humanitarian nursing knowledge to prepare a unique skill set and continuing to provide scholarships and advice so that together - One Nurse At A Time - we can change the world.

By Sue Averill, RN, MBA President One Nurse At A Time.

Republished with permission: Vital Lines’ and it is Volume 28, Issue 1 Winter 2011. Pages 3 & 8.

BOOK REVIEW -- NURSES BEYOND BORDERS

2011-03-30T12:42:00.001-05:00

     For a week or two after Port-au-Prince was flattened by the Haiti earthquake, we were glued to the TV while the human drama of recovery from a disaster was played out live, unscripted, made possible by the sophisticated technology of TV and global communication. We saw the recovery crews pulling out the people or their remains, watched the reporters interview nurses overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of patients, watched as mobs of desperate people swarmed the trucks delivering food and water, which was at first dumped out the back of the truck as it moved along, barely in control. The images highlighted the heroic nature of relief work. This epic disaster now moves to a quieter phase as it takes its place alongside the stories of 9- 11, Katrina, the Tsunami, wars and other manmade or natural events of history.
     What was has been striking about all of these is the growing recognition of the role that nurses play in these events. At one hospital the CNN crew was referring to the workers as doctors, until the people delivering care came over to correct them. This has always been true about disaster publicity - the care is delivered by whomever happens to be there and more often than not it is a nurse.
     And so this is the background from which I discovered the writings of Nancy Harless. I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of her latest book, Nurses Beyond Borders, around the time of the earthquake. Like Ms. Harless, I have worked overseas and written about the experience. And like her, I have spent time trying to make sense of the experience, trying to explain it to others who I am not certain are really interested. Ms. Harless has worked in Mexico and also the Balkans during the recent war. Her previous books explore previous travels.
     Nursing Beyond Borders is an anthology. Two dozen nurses told their story about working in different parts of the globe. In some cases it was wartime - our own Viet Nam War or one of the civil wars of Africa. In other cases, the nurses may have been on a short-term mission trip or travelling. The stories are loosely organized into four categories - transition, shadows, humor, and looking back. There is no overarching "plot" nor is there any moralizing about the choices made by the nurse or the patients. As in the tradition of the best nursing "war stories" the clinical exemplars are just told, not a lot of frills or embellishments. and the reader is allowed to draw their own conclusions or ask their own questions. Ms. Harless wrote the introduction and a sort of study guide which is appended to the back
     The introduction is probably the clearest statement about the phenomenon of becoming a Global Nurse, of any that has been written. I found myself wanting to cut-and-paste the whole thing into this review. I knew I was in for a treat when she wrote "....Sit back. Get comfortable...." and then a few sentences later followed it up with "..... And then get uncomfortable -very uncomfortable - so uneasy that you too, feel the call for action...." My reaction was, here is a person who gets it and knows from whence she speaks.
     There is a danger in describing overseas experiences, which is to romanticize the events, or the people who do this sort of thing, or their thinking. During a war, there will be periods of time that are boring, or where senselessly awful things happen for which there is no whitewash. Or we are led to think that the person telling the story has led a spotless personal life; or that the person never experienced fear and doubt during the experience, which is a particular failing of stories told by Christian Missionaries. It was something to which I was determined not fall victim in my own writing. Telling the real truth is something nurses pledge to each other at work and in their professional lives, and Ms. Harless deserves praise for that same commitment to truth she has continued in this work. These storytellers shared the aspects of global nursing that make it intense and very rewarding as well as a journey of personal discovery and service to humanity. Bravo.
     And so, I recommend this book to any nurse that is thinking of getting outside their personal bubble of comfort zone and out in to the big wide world. Get comfortable. Read… the get Uncomfortable… very uncomfortable……

Joe Niemczura RN, MSN: Nursing Instructor a the University of Hawaii University at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii. and author of “Hospital at the End of the World”

Until Next Year

2011-03-24T00:44:00.003-05:00

     Here I sit in my comfortable living room. My children are healthy and well-fed, intelligent and kind. They are well clothed, with shoes that fit and coats that keep them warm..... They have regular access to medical care, getting their dental, medical and eye check-ups yearly. My pets are not emaciated or flea ridden... My husband and I both have well paying jobs. for miles in ill fitting shoes. ....I have a car that runs well, on streets that are paved, well-maintained. I have heat to warm us in the winter, air-conditioning to cool us in the summer. We have hot water. We have washing machines and dryers. We have electricity, cable TV, reliable internet access. We have so much to be thankful for. We have each other, family and love. Those three things are universal. The “stuff” is just a perk.
     This was my 4th trip to the clinic in San Raymundo. Please do not think of me as a self-sacrificing, amazing person who goes for completely altruistic reasons. It is not true. I go because every year, I receive so very much. Personally, it puts into perspective, my life, my goals, my desires. Do I really need a new phone, a new pair of shoes, another gadget? It helps me to rely not on diagnostic testing, as there is very little available to me when in clinic. But, rather, it helps me to develop my hands on skills and diagnostic abilities based on patient presentation, what I see, what I feel.
     I bring back the blessings of hundreds of people, thankful for a moment with the gringos and the care we provide. I bring back the stories of love, hope and sorrow. I bring back knowledge from every single member of the team I travel with...they all teach me so much. The students I worked with this week made me a better teacher.
     The translators, our voices and our ears, infuse the spirit of their people into English that we can understand. And, sometimes no words are needed, simply a tearful hug says so much more than any language can convey. I come home with more friends, the camaraderie of the providers, the long hours, the tears that we’ve shared, bond us in a way that I’ve never been bonded to others before. Do not think of me as a giving person. Think of me as a person who has been enriched beyond anything she has hoped to be enriched, loved more than ever, taught in a way that she’s not been taught before and thankful for things she’s never been thankful for.
     As I sit here and attempt to put into words the week that I had, I find it difficult. I arrived in San Raymundo with a bus of about 45 other volunteers. The team is made up of many different people with unique skills. We had pharmacist, pharm tech, non-medical people, surgeons, students, nurses, nurse practitioners, laboratory techs, dental hygienist....so many skills, so many uniquely appropriate for this trip. We arrive on Saturday and unload our belongings, claim bunk-beds, set up rooms, ORs, labs, pharmacy. I was able to help do some physical exams on some patients who came in that night in hopes of having surgery in the morning. Clinic then runs from Sunday thru Thursday. We start at 7:30 and go until the last patient is seen. Meals are provided and prepared by a staff of local women. I miss that already. ………
     We saw sicker patients this trip than I’ve seen in the past. More grossly abnormal clinical findings. More heartbreak than before. More joy than before. We had several patients that we simply had to say, there is nothing we can do for you, your condition will ultimately lead to your death, we are deeply sorry. It is such a difficult conversation to have in this country. But, to have it with a patient and their family that have the wild hope that the gringos can fix anything can cause my heart to stop for a moment. We hold hands with these patients, we offer comfort medications, we help the family to understand how to help these people have a peaceful death. We pray with them. We cry with them. …..
     Andrew and I had a patient that came to us. She had a history of stomach cancer about a year ago. She presented to us with a mass in her abdomen, weight loss, decreased appetite. It was obvious to us that her cancer had returned. After consulting with other providers, we were sure that there was no medical treatment left other than comfort care.
     Nancy came in to translate for us. I was the medical voice, the one that gave Nancy the words to speak. The woman’s family came in, her niece, daughter, sister, brothers. Such an amazing family ready to take her home and love her, to give her comfort and care in her last days on earth. The patient clung to me, I held her, kissing her dirt streaked cheek, answering questions from the family. The love enveloping her was palpable. The family embodied strength for me. I cannot help but think about my own personal story here. My dear uncle is terminally ill with metastasized prostate cancer. My family embodies the same strength, the same palpable love, the same joy and appreciation for my uncle and one another. I couldn’t help but cry then. I am crying now as I type this. Family love is universal.
     In the midst of the tears, the sometimes hopeless feeling that we are unable to help, to do anything....we were blessed with the joy of a birth in clinic. Our midwifery student, Deb, took the lead. The room was full of counting...I’m certain I can count to 10 in Spanish now after doing it several times. Mom was stoic, dad was quiet. This was their 8th child. I was not in the room for the birth, but to hear that newborn cry across the clinic. To see our students deliver, comfort, assess and beam with pride was amazing. There is so much hope in a new child. So much joy. So much awe.
     Guatemala is a lush, green country. The volcanoes, flowers and amazing weather make it a fantastic place to visit and enjoy. As we drove from clinic to our 2 day stint in Antigua (where we were able to unwind and be tourists), I plugged myself into my ipod and stared out the window. It is also a country of poverty. of garbage strewn across the countryside. Of children running down the dirt roads with no shoes. Of dogs running wild and emaciated. Of people lying beside the streets, on makeshift sidewalks. My hope is that they were simply asleep there, that they were still breathing, but I cannot be sure. …..
     What made this trip the best ever for me? It’s hard to sum it up in a sentence or two. The entire
medical team was amazing.We worked together with a seamlessness and efficiency I have yet to encounter. No one said “I don’t want to do that” or “I cannot do that”. Everyone was ready, willing and able to go outside of their comfort zones, they were able to move away from things they knew and were able to do well, to find new and creative ways of treating and caring for their patients, to help other members of the team....no question was too dumb, no provider knew everything. Patients were receptive and thankful. Difficult situations posed all of us opportunities to grow, to empathize and to learn.
     I have come home more content with my life. My family, my loves. I am happier with my career and where I am. I am a better student. I am a better teacher. I would not be half the practitioner I am if I did not take these trips. I am able to use skills that I don’t always use in the states, but am reassured that I still have them ready and waiting should I need them. I am more thankful for my health, my friends and the health of those around me. I am more thankful for mi familia, my friends and my colleagues. I am more than when I left. I thank you all for being with me in spirit, in kind and in body. I am just thankful and blessed. I am ready to go again. Until next year....
Jennifer Tucker, FNP

Jennifer Tucker is a Family Nurse Practitioner. She resided in Medina, Ohio with her husband of nearly 17 years, Jeffery, and their two children, Jillian, 13, and Joseph, 10. She works full-time at the CVS Minute Clinic. Recently, Jennifer was awarded the Lifesaver Award at the annual Convenient Care Clinician Congress in Orlando Florida. She received this award for successfully managing a full cardiac arrest and anaphylactic incident in her stores this past year. Jennifer was a ONAAT schlarship recipient in Feb 2010 and she just made her 4th trip to Guatemala this October, 2010. Jennifer precepts students from her alma mater, Case Western Reserve University, on a regular basis.

ONE NURSE AT A TIME by Staci Kelley

2011-03-20T19:41:00.003-05:00

Treating Sexual Violence in Guatemala

2011-03-16T09:43:00.003-05:00

ONAAT's own, Sue Averill, RN leaves on Sunday for Guatemala City to serve as interim Medical Coordinator of a Sexual Violence Program with Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières(MSF). Sexual violence affects thousands of people every year in Guatemala, but, there has been little assistance provided to survivors by the national health care system. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières operates a clinic in Guatemala City specifically to treat these patients. See the entire article at about the program Sue will be working in at :

http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/article.cfm?id=3741&cat=field-news

Healing Beyond Borders - One Nurse At A Time

2011-03-05T09:11:00.002-06:00

     Travel and working abroad have a way of stretching us. As our awareness of a wider world and other traditions expands, so does our capacity for compassion and love. As nurses and nurse practitioners , when we experience working in a new and different environment—perhaps with fewer resources than what we are accustomed to—we learn “up close and personal” how others live and provide health care, however meager it may be. We adapt our practices to fit within the culture and the resources available to us. Our nursing framework of ideal practices has to be put aside and replaced with the need to do what we can with what we have.
     Recently, while serving as editor for Kaplan Publishing’s anthology, Nurses Beyond Borders: True Stories of Heroism and Healing around the World, I was privileged to read hundreds of stories written by nurses who have served in the arena of international health care. And, while I could only choose 25 of their wonderful stories to be included in the book, I recognized that each of them was undeniably a very special person who reached out eagerly—though not necessarily without fear—for new, rich experiences.
     One contributor’s commitment to nursing and passion for global health struck a particular chord with me. This “angel of mercy” has not only served numerous times abroad herself, but she also helped found the nonprofit organization One Nurse At A Time (ONAAT), which has a mission to assist other nurses and NPs in enhancing our profession as they, too, look for opportunities to serve locally, nationally, and internationally. Read all about how ONAAT began and what we are doing to support nurses an to bring an awareness of what it means to be a 'Humanitarian Nurse

TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE CLICK HERE: http://www.nursetogether.com/Volunteer/VolunteerArticle/tabid/360/itemId/2406/Healing-Beyond-Borders-%e2%80%93-One-Nurse-At-A-Time.aspx

Reprinted with permission, NP World News, Nov/Dec 2010, www.webNPonline.com, NP Communications, LLC

Healing the Children in El Salvador

2011-03-03T08:20:00.001-06:00

     I was not sure what to expect. The Presbyterian Hospital Main Operating Room is all I have ever known in my nursing career of four years. I knew practices and standards would be different. I knew that there would be a lot of improvising. That was all I knew of El Salvador: diversity. The severity of it I was about to find out….The entire team met up first thing Sunday morning. There were 12 of us: 2 surgeons ,2 anesthesiologists ,2 scrub nurses , 1 circulator , 1 medical student/anesthesia technician, 1 nurse interpreter , 2 recovery room nurses , and of course Bobbye, the trip administrator. These 11 people would be my family for the week.
     When we got to the hospital the waiting area was packed. There were even people lingering outside in the courtyard. …   First thing first: figure out which specialty gets which room. Technically, LDP has four operating rooms but one of those rooms is used for deliveries. Dr. Carcomo had assigned general surgery to the room with a better overhead light (nicknamed the “Starship Enterprise” for is size and shape) and the ENT surgery room had the instrument washing sink in it….There was a lot of equipment switching for the first couple hours until finally, the equipment found its way to the correct specialty and plugged into working electrical sockets.
     More often than not the group ate dinner together. It certainly created a sense of camaraderie and bonding. The team worked really well together. I had expected more tension and “all-business” attitudes but was pleasantly surprised at how well we got along. That unity helped make the week go by smoothly and joyously.
     On Monday morning we slept in because our bus could not pick us up until 8 o’clock in the morning. Bobbye had arranged government transportation for us for the week. This made me feel much more secure to go between the hospital and the hotel. Monday morning though, the driver was about two hours late—something about the contract or gas or both. I felt so terrible for our patients. Some of them had gotten to the hospital as early as 5:00 am! At least all of them were present when we arrived and each child already had their IV started. As far as I know, none of the families complained about the wait. There may have been some questions and concerns but all the families stayed. In the States, the families would have left and maybe threatened a lawsuit!
     The general team only had three surgeries to do. There were two sets of instruments we brought with us from the States. After each surgery I washed, dried, and wrapped the used set. Then I gave that set to Hilda—the Salvadorian nurse—to be sterilized while we did surgery with the other set. That set would then be ready for the following case. After the third surgery both sets were given to be flashed for the following day. The last patient for both teams was discharged from PACU around 4:30 pm.
     On Tuesday, our bus picked us up at 6:45 am. We had four surgeries scheduled for the day…I also taught Jessie how to scrub in to surgery—how to wash her hands and stay sterile at least. There was a limited supply of gowns and gloves so I could not teach her how to glove and gown herself or set up, but she was able to see more of what Dr. Linda was doing and help retract. After the first case I showed Jessie how to wash, dry, and wrap the instruments. Kay gave us an indicator to place with the set. When I saw the results, I wished she had not.
     The outer tape and the inner sterilizer tape changed on all of our sets. The indicators, however, never reached more than half way to the acceptable on the strip…The biggest culture shock for me involved the lack of regulations and standards. The autoclave did not get hot enough to kill worms and the staff simply continued on with surgery like nothing was wrong. The staff asked us to save the disposable cautery pencils we brought with us. They would soak them in a bacterialcidal solution and reuse them over and over.
     Wednesday was our busiest day. We did six cases total. Since there were only two sets of instruments, we spent some time waiting for them to be turned over. Eventually we put together a third set from the hospital’s instruments…Thursday was our slowest day. The general team was done before lunch time. So while Dr. Linda saw potential patients for Friday, I inventoried the remaining supplies. One of the doctors at the hospital, Dr. Riviera, scrubbed in to the surgeries with us on Thursday and Friday. He was a big help, although he may have slowed us down a bit because we were teaching him during the surgeries and he did not always understand our English.
     Friday was our final day. We did five simple cases and were done by lunch time. Our last two cases were difficult. They were both patients who Dr. Linda had not screened on Sunday—technically speaking “add-ons.” The second to last child needed a cyst removed. The general surgeon at a sister hospital, the surgeon who would follow up with all of our patients, brought to our attention the possibility that this patient may have a tuberculosis infection. It was the only specimen that we sent off for pathology. There was no lab in the hospital. It had to literally be “sent off.” I am still unsure of the outcome.
     Then the last patient was HIV positive. We actually knew this and had decided to do this surgery last because we were so uncertain of the sterility of the instruments. We did not want to pass inadvertently pass on the virus to another child. I realized later that we should have taken more precautions to kill microorganisms on the instruments we used on the patient with HIV because of the immunocompromised condition of the child.
     There are many things I would have done differently that week. But many things could not have been done better. This week changed my views on healthcare: it helped me to be more flexible, taught me to improvise, and showed me how to do things without advanced technology. All in all though—some things were very familiar. There were patients misunderstanding what time they needed to arrive at the hospital. There were parents wondering why they could not feed their child a big breakfast the morning of their surgery. And of course, there was dealing with noncompliance. Maybe things were not do different after all.

Jaren Gravagne, RN, BSN, CNOR is a third generation surgical nurse and currently is the General Surgery and Kidney Transplant Coordinator in the Operating Room. In addition to general surgery and kidney transplants, she also specializes in pediatric surgery and Wound VACs. She is currently training for her first half marathon and plans to keep running as long as possible. Her goal in life is to visit at least one country from every continent—except maybe Antarctica (it’s too cold!). In her spare time, she loves to experiment with gluten-free cooking and baking. Jaren lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her husband Anthony. She served with Healing the Children on a pediatric surgical mission in Santiage Texacuangos, El Salvador from February 27 through March 6, 2010. 75 children received surgery and medical care from the mulitdicipinary team.

Brown Bag Forum with Student Nurses

2011-02-27T15:57:00.008-06:00

One way One Nurse At A Time supports nurses is through community networking opportunities: speaking engagements, public events, publication of articles and by providing a discussion forum for exchange of volunteer and humanitarian nursing experiences.

Sue Averill and Bette Coulter met with the student nurses of Shoreline Community College in Shoreline, Washington on Tuesday for a "Brown Bag Forum." They discussed humanitarian nursing, using a story they co-authored, "Susy," as a springboard for discussion of nursing challenges in the developing world. A huge thank you to Sue and Bette for being such inspirational role models for these fledgling nurses!

Global Health Disparities

2011-02-22T20:02:00.006-06:00

Sue Averill RN, MBA and Bette Coulter, RN will address the graduate nursing class; “Disparity and Social Justice in Health Care” taught by Mabel Ezeonwu, PhD, RN at the Bothell campus of the University of Washington on Friday, February 25, 2011.

Both Sue and Bette are published authors.They have been invited to discuss their personal international nursing experiences as well as share their stories from the anthology, Nurses Beyond Borders. Sue, Co-Founder and President of One Nurse At A Time will discuss her work in Liberia in an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp; Bette will share her experience of volunteering in Luoyang, China as a part of a Surgical Cleft Palate/Lip Team. Both nurses will read and discuss a story they penned together,“Susy,” about a medical mission to Barillas, Guatemala.

An excerpt from the story, "Susy," by Sue Averill & Bette Coulter.

"All eyes watched the fine crimson streak that followed the surgeon’s scalpel as he traced it across the woman’s swollen belly. Immediately, the Finnish nurse jumped in and said the opening he made was not big enough to pull a mouse through, let alone a baby. He hesitated and she nodded for him to continue. He carved a beautiful line. After all, the seventy five year old doctor was a plastic surgeon, not an obstetrician."

A Piece of My Heart - Becky Elder, FNP

2011-02-18T12:22:00.000-06:00

One Nurse At A Time's first scholarship nurse for 2011, Becky Elder, recently returned from a medical mission in Guatemala with the organization Hearts in Motion (http://www.heartsinmotion.org/ ) Becky writes:

I knew this trip would be meaningful. I did not know it would be a personal awakening ′as to who I was and what purpose I bring to this world. I have lived a week in Guatemala and my life will forever be changed by those who touched my life and therefore touched my heart. I broke off a piece of my heart and left it in Guatemala. Someday I will return.

Have you participated in any medical missions in the past? Is it something you'd like to do in the future? Where have YOU left a piece of your heart?

We look forward to hearing from you!

~Nancy

ONE NURSE AT A TIME - Changing the World One Nurse at a Time

2011-02-18T12:09:00.000-06:00

     ONE NURSE AT A TIME (ONAAT) is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization created by nurses who are passionate about giving back to their local and global community through volunteer and humanitarian medical pursuits. We are dedicated to assisting other nurses enhance our profession as they too, look for opportunities to serve locally, nationally and internationally.
      One Nurse At A Time was co-founded by Sue Averill and Staci Kelley in 2007as a private, volunteer staffed, nonsectarian, nonpolitical organization whose mission is to encourage and support nurses in humanitarian work both at home and abroad. Both serve as officers for the organization: Sue as President and Treasurer; and Staci as Vice President and Secretary. In 2010 they added Nancy Harless as Communications Officer whose role is to increase public awareness of ONAAT in the media. ONAAT is currently taking applications for volunteers. You may summit your letter of interest and CV via email to: onenurseatatime@gmail.com
     ONAAT currently provides a three prong approach that supports nurses in their volunteer endeavors: 1) We provide an annually updated Central Data Base of organizations who provide medical missions internationally, and in the United States of America. 2) We offer nursing scholarships to nurses who volunteer abroad to help defer their cost of volunteer and 3) We provide networking between nurses and with the general public. This is a huge part of our organization and vital to encouraging nurses to get involved in humanitarian and volunteer nursing.   We speak at public forums, maintain an active presence on Internet social networks, write articles and stories; and we reach out and to educate the public regarding the depth and breadth of humanitarian nursing.
     We are funded through donations, fund raisers and grants and are committed to returning 80%, or more, of the monies raised through these sources toward nursing scholarships. A smaller amount of the annual budget goes toward operational expenses. In keeping with the model of transparency ONAAT maintains pristine records and makes all financial records available to the public on an annual basis and upon request. You can easily make tax-deductable donations via our website by credit card or Pay Pal.