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VOLUME 2 ISSUE 4 The PNANE FOCUS August —September 2012 Page NEWSLETTER DATE PNANE FOCUS The Official Newsletter of the Philippine Nurses Association of New England (PNANE), Inc. Member: Philippine Nurses Association of America FALL ISSUE Volume 2 Issue 3 August—September , 2012 ANNIVERSARY ISSUE OUR MISSION The Philippine Nurses Association of New England (PNANE) is an official non-profit professional organization that upholds the image and preserves the cultural contributions of Filipinos and Filipino-American nurses in the United - States of America. The POWER of PNANE lives on! Dorothy’s Narrative: From her Philippine Heritage to Building Nicaraguan Health Care I was born in Los Angeles, California on December 8, 1930 during the Great Depression. My mother was second generation Mexican-American and my father, Filipino. The Oriental Exclusion Laws prohibited Asian men from marrying white women; a law not repealed until the 1950’s. We were very poor, and I was considered a “bastard”. I ex- perienced very early the classism and racism imposed by the dominant, white society. Since I was a small child I have wanted to be a nurse. I remember bringing home small, injured animals and trying to repair them. As I look back, I understand that I was trying to mend my own brokenness. As I grew older I began to under- stand that my healing was reliant on and intertwined with the healing of others. After being expelled from my second year high school I went to the Philippines with my father to find a high school from which I could graduate. The strict Do- minican sisters at Santa Catarina in Intramuros saw that this happened. At the University of Santo Tomas I sought admission to nursing school. I was refused and told that I was not suited for nursing and should study medicine instead. My family was upper-class and did not support my desire to study nursing. I reluc- tantly left the Islands to return to nursing school in Los Angeles. This was sad since I had come to love the country and its warm, generous people. Through trying to understand what causes illness I have also learned that politi- cal, economic and religious ambitions are often the root causes of poverty, war, displacement and social disorder. These forces create illness and prevent health. Health requires an environment of tranquility that enables the development of those elements that promote health: human rights, decent work, clean water, adequate food, care of the environment and basic health ser-vices. Nursing has led me to be active in efforts to eliminate the death penalty, prevent nuclear war, and accompany the lead- ership of families of those that disappeared in Guatemala. The path ultimately brought me to Nicaragua where the United States was waging war against a poor country whose government was brought to power by popular struggle against a U.S. supported dictatorship. In Nicaragua, still at war when I arrived in 1985, it seemed that I could be most useful by joining a group of war displaced women to help them in the work of re-building their community. Through a small health clinic, whose core was women’s health, we worked to create conditions to support a healthy community including reconciliation of former enemies. Currently I am working with Traditional Midwives and other Community Health Workers to help them improve their already vast store of skills and create conditions for healthy families and communities to the end that there are no more maternal and infant death. The health system in Nicaragua has improved greatly; however, traditional health workers in communities need continuing education and consistent support in order to help them do the essential work to create better conditions of health. (To page 2) Philippine Nurses Association of New England. Inc. www.pna-newengland.org VOLUME 2 ISSUE 4 The PNANE FOCUS August —September 2012 Page 2 Editorial Beyond my space ... Maria Theresa P. Panizales, MSN, RN Comfort is relative, it is what one feels at the moment, a concept that is built from experience, past and present. As nurses, we are very much concern of our patients comfort. We looked beyond what we see and the meaning of what our patient tells us in order to decipher the essence of being comfortable. From here on, the nurse applies the necessary measures to attain the goal of providing comfort. As a person and a nurse, I reflect on what has been my comfort zone. Do I go beyond the norms of being a nurse in my profession? What is considered a norm? Is it my professionally assigned shift, the 8-5 routine office hours, the tasks assigned that needs to be completed or the leadership role I provide to others at an assigned moment? Oh yes, the routine task is where comfort resides. But are there other ways that my role as a nurse can very much expand and be a trail blazer in helping move health care beyond the nor- mal paradigm of an institution? Do I share my voice to be heard? Do I concern myself with what is happening beyond the four walls of my comfort zone? As a nurse, the entire community within and beyond is part of me. I am not a silo that exists to navigate just one path nor do I see my patient just because of their presenting illness. I am not limited to what I see and do while ministering care, for I know that this is just the tip of the iceberg. For much of the why of the moment, and what is about to happen in the healing phase, where much of my profession focuses, is affected by multiple factors that reflect back to the community. My community is where one can see the impact and interplay of social, political, economic, cultural and spiritual factors to the health and well being of its members. To find one is to open a Pandora ’s Box revealing root causes, too simple yet complex enough if a concerted effort is not utilized to solve the challenge. Yes, we cannot solve all but to not do anything makes one an accessory to the crime of neglect - for we are that community . __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DOROTHY (From page 1) The greatest challenges, to date, have been the illiteracy of nearly half of the Midwives and Health Workers as well as a lack of ap- preciation of the workers vital importance on the part of some nurses and doctors in the health department. To respond to the lack of literacy, workers are being enrolled in literacy classes. To gain the respect of “professional” health workers, we are working hard to up-grade the performance of Midwives and Community Health Workers. As the workers’ performance improves, health indicators will improve. The greatest gain of the program is the enthusiastic response of the Traditional Midwives and Community Health Workers who are eager to learn new skills and improve old knowledge. Traditional Midwives and Community Health Workers are the heroes of the health system. I would ask young people and health workers to look into their hearts and find their dreams and their pain, and work toward healing as they realize their deepest dreams. The people of the Philippines have a rich history of resistance to oppression as well as an un- derstanding of what it is to be a human being. Dorothy Granada, 29 July, 2012, Matagalpa, Nicaragua Philippine Nurses Association of New England. Inc. www.pna-newengland.org VOLUME 2 ISSUE 4 The PNANE FOCUS August —September 2012 Page 3 Heart to Heart with Leila Releasing the POWER of PNANE Professional Relationships. Outreach Programs. Worldwide Linkages. Educational Advancement, and Recruitment, Retention and Responsible Financial Management Leila C. Amarra, MSN, RN Let me begin by saying how privileged I feel to have had the First Aid Booth. Health Screening Program was offered in part- opportunity to serve the Philippine Nurses Association of New nership with the Knights of Columbus and Nyaya Health, and England (PNANE) and the Philippine Nurses Association of First Aid assistance for the International Festival of the Archdio- America (PNAA). I thank our members for giving their trust, cese of Boston. We also joined the “Fit for the King Program” encouragement and confidence in me to serve as president. I truly of the Martin Luther King School in Roxbury. Our relationship believe that the two years have been very fulfilling, and have with Lassell College was continued through the school’s Lead- given me the opportunity to gain valuable experience in leader- ership Retreat. We maintained our services to the Filipino com- ship and professional advancement, and taught me perseverance munity during the Fall River Santacruzan, Gawad Kalinga 5K and humility. I also saw how friends reconnect, new friendships Walk and the Filipino Apostolate’s programs, among others. formed for the common goals and how we learn from each other’s triumphs as well as mistakes. It reminded me what true Through our website and frequent emails, we updated our mem- leadership is all about. It was a wonderful and rewarding journey bership information and responded to inquiries in the US and with all of you. the Philippines. Our newsletter’s excellent editorial staff and facebook page helped us get in touch with our members. We I salute the dedication and professionalism of the Executive take the lighter side of PNA New England with our Miss Valen- Board and I found exceptional engagement of members in more tine, Food Festival, and Anniversary celebrations; and network ways than one. Our undocumented auxiliary members, meaning with other Filipino organizations as we preserve our cultural our family, husbands/wives, significant others and friends are heritage for future generations to enjoy.