Put More Nurse in the World

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

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

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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

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

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

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.