Philippine Nurses Association of San Diego County, Inc.

ACTIVITIES AND INFORMATION

VISIBILITY

1. COMMUNITY HEALTH/CULTURAL FAIRS (First Aid Station/Outreach education)

Asian Bone Marrow Drive in collaboration with the Asians for Marrow Matches (A 3M)
Asian Pacific Islander American (A. P. I. A.) Heritage Festival
Pilipino American Youth Organization (P. A. Y. O.) Street Beautification Day - National City
KABABAYAN DAY - Mira Mesa Health Fair in collaboration with COPAO/PAYO.
Asthma Day - Asthma Coalition
American Cancer Society (ACS) RELAY FOR LIFE
Oncology Nurses Association, CANCER SURVIVORSHIP DAY
South Bay Wellness Fair
FILIPINIANA, Philippine Arts & Culture Day
Philippine Library & Historical Heritage Museum - Dr. Jose Rizal's Day
Philippine Independence Day (Philippine Faire) celebration
Philippine Cultural Arts Festival
Smaller Filipino area based sub-groups (i. e. Pangasinan Association/faith based organizations)

2. POLICY/POLICY MAKERS (Community advocacy in Health & Professional Issues)

Aging & Independence Services (A. I. S.) Public Hearing
National Consumer Protection Week Kickoff
A. I. S. Intergenerational Partnership forum
A. I. S. Aging Summit
Annual Non-Profit Symposium - Federal Regulations on Non-Profits
"Budget Cuts" Health Forum
Congresswoman Susan Davis, community forum
San Diego Regional Data Sharing Forum
Labor Roundtable - "Working Uninsured Business & Labor Finding Common Ground"
San Diego City Council Public Hearing
State of the City Forum - National City
San Diego City Council meeting - Celebrating Filipino- Americans
R. E. H. D. I. Community Health Workshop - Addressing Health Disparities Among People Of Color

3. COLLABORATIONS (NEW ones, in addition to our established ones)

Ethnic Minority Nurses Associations - San Diego Chapter of National Association of Hispanic Nurses & Black Nurses Association
Formation of the SOUTH BAY FILIPINO-AMERICAN HEALTH CARE
COLLABORATIVE - consisting of: Kalusugan Community Services, Majestic Lions Club (Member, Lions Club, International), Philippine Nurses Association of San Diego County, Inc. (P. N. A. S. D.), Philippine Medical Association (P. M. A.) & Samahan clinics.
"Welcome Back" Program - International Health Worker Assistance Center (Educational Link with Grossmont College).
Mabuhay Alliance - Filipino American Business Collaborative
Asian Business Association
Community Health Improvement Partners (C. H. I. P.) - A voluntary collaborative of health Care stakeholders in the San Diego region. The 3 Ethnic Minority Nurses Associations among them.
Lifesharing - Tissue & Organ Donation. Again, the 3 Ethnic Minority Nurses Associations are here.

VIABILITY

1. COLLABORATIONS

As above (under VISIBILITY), because through these activities, PNASD develops our network of community friends and corporate sponsors who are committed to support our Associations programs and goals.

2. MEMBERSHIP

Improved outreach efforts to our membership and to potential members by making the application process timely.
Established a website (www.pnasd.org), a 24/7 voicemail ((619) 235-5502) and placement of the PNASD in the telephone directory white pages, to improve access to the Association and its members.
Restructured the Membership committee by naming members as "site based" co-chairs of the committee at their place of work. The goal is again for easy access to our members and the potential pool of the new ones. A "Roving" co-chair was also added.
Improved systems process - by standardizing the "Welcome packet" given to the member containing: An official letter/greeting from the Committee Chair, an "Organizational Profile", a copy of the "Activity calendar", along with their membership card. The notification/reminder letters for the current members for their renewal also has a standard letter format signed by the Committee Chair.
Timely response to requests/questions received via the voicemail, as well as updating the website and the voicemail "greetings", have been a continued work in progress which had given us dividends.
Accepting invitations to speak in area facilities, especially in the smaller ones (Skilled Nursing Facility and community public forums), had proven very beneficial for PNASD, myself and the membership evidenced by their response to these visits.
Improved focus on retention by above approaches and on attracting the "very young" of our colleagues to get engaged in our activities and commit to our vision, has been a challenge and a work in progress.
Opportunities for mentorship are offered and done for those that wishes to do so. We must continue to give VALUE to our members to keep them engaged.

3. MARKETING

The collaborations we have established and the network of people and opportunities it created, had made us look good to the community. Our "one on one" dialogues followed by: informational handouts, gave PNASD, and more importantly, the "Filipino Nurse" by extension, a "face" in the community. A "face" that we can be proud of.
Improved and re-structured informational handouts which were updated as often as necessary. These included the use of business cards as often as possible AND asking for one in return.
Keeping current of health and professional issues is a must in meeting the community which had definitely given PNASD a distinct advantage in our ties with the community. The ability to communicate and be understood is also a key component to these efforts.
Our community and corporate sponsors had increased in numbers and we continue to reach out to the potential ones through our alliances with our business community. It had certainly been a comforting and reliable source of support for our key projects (Scholarship & Educational seminars). It IS and WILL be a work in progress. We have a lot to learn!

VITALITY

1. COLLABORATIONS

This is the common thread that I think weaves through all of the "V"'s. There IS strength in numbers! One can maximize resources, avoid duplications and thus avoid waste, especially in this current climate of limited resources. Resources that can be better put to use and may evenproduce a better outcome.
We have established a credible list of alliances which have served the Association in many ways (refer to previous list under the first "V").

2. RESEARCH/EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE

We have continued our assessment surveys with our membership. It is a small step that we need to pursue to get to a better understanding of who we are, as Filipinos and by extension, as a "Filipino Nurse". We have done this by grabbing the opportunity offered to us by NURSEWEEK magazine, a nursing publication that reportedly has a circulation of 1 - 1.5 million circulation. The article was published in the April 11, 2005 issue and can be accessed via www.nurseweek.com. It was a challenging undertaking because it was PNASD's "first" as well as mine. It was certainly a labor of love by all participants because it carried with it the responsibility of "introducing" the Filipino as a culture as well as the "Filipino Nurse" by extension. The details of the "making" of this article was written in the last issue of our newsletter (No. 66, Spring 2005). A lot of sweat & blood, research, and sleepless nights went into it, but oh... what an outcome! It was actually our best marketing effort to date, even though we didn't know it then.
In collaboration and in keeping with the PNAA national agenda, in the area of the "Nurse Scientist"/Research initiative program, PNASD will continue to pursue this effort in all areas. We are so lacking in this aspect and I believe we need to devote more energy and resources toward this end. Attracting interest in our membership and those of our community friends and corporate sponsors is certainly a first step. Needless to say that this is DEFINITELY a work in progress!

3. PROFESSIONAL ADVANCEMENT

In all of our community outreach education, which includes Professional issues and promoting Nursing as a career path, we continue to emphasize the other area of need in the Nursing shortage. That of the Faculty - to have someone to teach those just coming in to the Profession as well as the ones going for educational advancement. Unfortunately, they too, are part of the Nursing shortage statistics (aging! - excuse the pun!) and more so in fact. This is definitely an area that is of critical need and a concerted effort among ALL of us to problem solve this has to happen, efforts short of a miracle.
PNASD's Scholarship program targets the very key to these efforts in tandem with our mentorship goals.

FOOTNOTE: I wish to thank the membership, fellow officers and our community friends/supporters, for giving me the opportunity to serve and making it a very productive tenure!!

THANK YOU.... MARAMING SALAMAT PO!

Merly Ferrer
Your friend & colleague in service

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Philippine Nurses Association of San Diego County, Inc. 2008
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