Welcome!
Nearly everyone in our group has shared a bit of personal information, so here is a little bit about me. I'm a native of the state of Washington, and all of my nursing degrees: Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Nursing, and PhD are from universities in Washington. My Master of Nursing degree in Community Health Nursing is from University of Washington in Seattle. I'm by far the oldest member of the group ~ yikes!
However, on a serious note, I believe in the talent and expertise of this group of graduate nursing students, and I feel sure that they will bring a great deal to the homeless people of Washington, DC. Beyond the hundreds of pounds of donated items, they bring compassion, sensitivity, and grace in great abundance. It is a real honor for me to be able to accompany them on what promises to be an amazing journey.
I also have a wealth of nursing experience with people in poverty. From 1978-2000, I worked with nursing students in Washington State who cared for low-income elders residing in several of the high rise complexes managed by Catholic Charities. I worked in the downtown clinics and helped with nurse-managed clinics for homeless people in Spokane, Washington. Caring for those who have very little money, and sometimes very big health concerns, is always challenging. However, the rewards are beyond compare.
Our UW-EC graduate nursing students will gain so much from the care that they deliver. They will hear stories and see faces that will remain with them for ever. We are going to be offering our services to homeless familes, homeless women, and homeless men. We'll probably see more sadness and hear more hard luck stories in five days than most people encounter in a lifetime.
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