Scholarship Nurses Embark on Their Journeys

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

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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

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

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.