I’ll lift you and you lift me, we’ll both ascend together.
John Greenleaf Whittier, 1807-1892
American Quaker poet and advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States.
ASCEND
If I am going to ascend to a higher level of offering care, it will begin with an honest assessment of my own abilities and a willingness to allow myself to open up to personal and professional challenges. I know both will require fortitude and stamina.
Going to higher points in my life is worth it because life is a journey of wonder. I don’t want to be stuck in a rut. When it’s time for a change, I want to change. I want to let go of the familiar to ascend to heights to which I’ve never risen.
Waiting too long to step out from what I’ve always done can sometimes hurt others. I don’t want to be afraid or worse, selfish. Sometimes others will need my changes more than I want them myself.
Divine Ascent, bestow on me a sense of adventure in my life amidst the simple and complex realities of caring for others. Knowing your wisdom and grace will guide me, free me to ascend to the next level with confidence. AMEN
ACTION: Is this a time of change or maintenance? How are you ascending to greater understanding of life through your daily challenges? Do an assessment of where you’re at and share it with a loved one.
Dale and Rich with a new addition in their family, great-niece Berkeley!
About the Photographer
Dale Swartos is a Senior Speech and Language Pathologist at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital in Baltimore. Recently, Dale earned Certified Neonatal Therapist status. He and his husband, Rich, are busy with their extended family and working at their new home in Baltimore. Rich has just finished his tenure on the Board of Nursing Heart.
Dale writes, “I’ve noticed that a lot of photos I’ve taken lately are of doors, widows, stairs. I find myself curious about what is behind that door, where does that stair lead, who may be inside that window? It’s not unlike the questions Rich and I ask each other as we get older; ‘What’s around the next corner, what’s the next adventure?'”
It also seems an appropriate time for Nursing Heart to ask these questions especially in light of the transition we are entering. One step at a time is a good philosophy. We will see what’s waiting at the top of these “Steps” which is the name of this series as we start the New Year.
Johns Hopkins School of Nursing team with NHI and our friends at Pacoxpón.
Nursing Heart Friends,
What a week we have had with this great team from theSchool of Nursing at Johns Hopkins University. They have helped us to initiate a new project to be of direct service to pueblos in the areas whereNursing Heartworks. We have been working with the Health Committe of Pacoxpón since early fall. These students under the direction of their professors, Martha Abshire and Dr. Vinciya Pandian, helped us do a assessment of the households in the community. We are excited that we were able to visit 90% of the households in two days and carry out the questionaire which had been designed through a collaboration with the community, the team, and ourselves.
The assessments took two days. Our team divided into five groups made up of a health committee member from Pacoxpón, two or three students, and a NHI representative. Several of the students spoke Spanish which was of great assistance and many of the students came from backgrounds in the Peace Corps. They had a good sense about how this kind of thing is done.
We walked through the dusty, wooded area, around paths and over creeks to the homes. We were all struck by the graciousness of the families who welcomed us. It was amazing to witness the ways in which they make a place for their families to grow up healthy with the limited resources they have. Of course, access to water is a huge issue along with trying to bring a balanced diet to their families. Climate change is impacting this community.
The team worked diligently with the results of the surveys and brought the data all together Wednesday evening in order to present to the Health Committee and governing body of the town at the Learning Center of Hombres y Mujeres en Acción on Thursday morning. We all learned so much through the process and will continue to help the committee develop their priorities.
A round trip out to Pacoxpon costs our team $100. Could you be part of this team by sponsoring a month?Visit our donate page.
The JHUSON nursing students will join us in continuing to follow the progress of the Health Committee. We hope to be joined by another group from the SON in May. Stay tuned!
Peace,
Quote of the Week
“Only when we work to understand each other can we ascend to the highest level of nursing care.”
Laura Moro, MPH, MSN (candidate) 5th Semester Masters of Science in Nursing program Johns Hopkins School of Nursing Baltimore, Maryland
