National Nurses United

Continuing Promise_FNL with art 12/22/10 6:12 PM Page 13 "It's not a trip for the weak or weary. Ship life is rough! It was the hardest I have ever done, and I thrive on excitement and challenges, both physically and mentally. My trip was the most amazing experience ever, and I learned so much." less volunteerism. "I am a nurse," she said. "It was hard for me to become a nurse. And I heard a lecture long ago by a nursing school instructor – and nurse – who said nurses should be on the forefront whenever possible. I have always remembered that charge." Nurses who deploy on these missions often bring the humanitarian touch to what can be a regimented relief process, Thurner said. In the midst of all the necessary and impressive procedures and strictness of military operations, nurses bring compassion and caring in difficult settings to the bedside for their patients. "We advocate. We always advocate for our patients," Thurner remarked when thinking of her experiences with Continuing Promise. She recalled one special moment when she was working at a deworming clinic and a little girl became terrified when she saw the syringe filled with the medicine she would need to take. Thurner didn't miss a beat. Knowing it would do her no harm, she held the syringe up to her own mouth and squirted a little in. The relieved little girl stopped crying and broke into laughter. "I gave her the medication, and she was on her way," Thurner said. Many of the patients in the countries the RNs visited had great need for women's health services, immunizations, and education. Lauri Hoagland, a nurse practitioner from California, spent nine days in Costa Rica, seeing patients in clinics on board the Iwo Jima but also in the city and deep in the countryside. She treated about 30 patients a day, while the team of providers she worked with saw a total of 300 patients a day. Hoagland added that her experience was "very rich," and that she felt the most important moments came in realizing we all have common health concerns and a common need to be heard when we voice those concerns. So much of the nurses' interactions with patients were not just about medicines and treatments but in lifestyle changes and things patients can do to improve their health. "The experience definitely expands your view of healthcare in different settings and countries," said Hoagland. "For instance, we may see a patient with back pain but if there are no meds and if they have no ice available in their homes, that reality changes what we talk about and how we may be able to help." Lastly, RN volunteers said their time with Continuing Promise and aboard the Iwo Jima gave them greater understanding and respect for the work military nurses and soldiers do, day in, day out. Perez said that she made many new friends and that the military personnel "loved having us. They said our eagerness gave hope and purpose to the staff who are stuck on the ship for four months, with little to no contact from their loved ones."  Thurner shared similar sentiments. "It was an honor to work with nurses who put themselves out there on the line who had served multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq," she said. "They did it as their sense of duty and just listening to their stories really touched my heart—and their caring for their patients. We actually roomed with 40 women-plus, so we got to know military (especially Army) nurses really well. We learned from each other. One thing I really learned from them was their bravery." Donna Smith is a community organizer with NNU. Jane Ernstthal, RN, NP conducted family planning education classes DECEMBER 2010 W W W. N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G N AT I O N A L N U R S E 13

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