October 8, 2013 – More than 250 nurses and nurse supporters attended the 5th annual Oregon Center for Nursing (OCN) fundraising breakfast, on Tuesday, September 24 at the Oregon Zoo to celebrate the varied roles nurses play in our communities.
At the “Many Faces of Nursing” event, OCN was pleased to introduce the audience to Rhonda Collins, MSN, RN of Fresenius Kabi USA. Collins spoke about the influence of nurses and her support of the American Nurse Project, a national project to elevate the voice of nurses in this country by capturing their personal stories through photography and film.
“These nurses are dedicated to their work and their patients,” Collins said. “This is a compelling and moving way to tell their stories.”
In addition to highlighting the work of nurses throughout the United States, Collins also unveiled video and photographs of three Oregon nurses recently been included in this national project. Leda Garside, RN, MBA works with the Tuality Healthcare Foundation for the ¡Salud! Program, a program to provide migrant workers and their families a means to seek health services including a mobile health clinic to bring physicals and lab services to the fields. Judith Andersen, RN, MSN directs the Workforce Improvement with Immigrant Nurses (WIIN) Program at Clackamas Community College. The WIIN program helps experienced foreign-educated nurses living in the US to enter the nursing workforce and eases their transition into practice. Shannon Weybright, RN supports at-risk teens and their families through the Waterfall Clinic Marshfield School site in Coos Bay, Oregon. Photos and videos of the three Oregon nurses can be viewed at http://americannurseproject.com.
“We were thrilled to collaborate with the American Nurse Project on this event,” said OCN Executive Director Mary Rita Hurley. “These three amazing individuals are the first nurses from the Pacific Northwest to be included in this national project. The work they do is vital to our communities and it is fantastic to see them recognized and honored.”
The “Many Faces of Nursing” event raised more than $83,000 to support the work of OCN. Legacy Health System and Providence Health and Services provided major sponsorship. Other sponsors included Avamere Family of Companies, Oregon Health and Science University, Adventist Health, CareOregon, Kaiser Permanente, Marquis Companies, Oregon Association of Hospital and Health Systems, Oregon Health Care Association and Salem Hospital.
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The Oregon Center for Nursing (OCN) is a non-profit organization, established by the nursing leaders in 2002, with a mission to promote a well-prepared nursing workforce dedicated to providing care and leading change to meet the health needs of our communities. OCN fulfills its mission by educating nurses to embrace leadership, developing certainty through research, advocating for effective outcomes and stimulating collaborative innovation. For more information on this organization, please visit www.oregoncenterfornursing.org.
Who: more than 250 nurses and nurse supporters
What: attended the 5th annual OCN fundraising breakfast and raised more than $83,000 to support nursing in Oregon
Where: The Oregon Zoo
When: Tuesday, September 24
Why: to celebrate nurses and honor three nurses included in The American Nurse Project
How: Rhonda Collins gave a presentation on the Many Faces of Nursing. Other speakers included board members Joan Caley, Barbara Van Slyke and Margaret Ngai.
