Nurses of the Nations

Since Nurses for the Nations official incorporation on August 22, 2008, the organization has shown rapid growth and progress.  Nurses for the Nations is the first ‘nuts and bolts’ grass roots initiative in the United States who’s mission is to take nurses directly into global villages, partnering with governments, indigenous Churches and people along with charitable organizations to help the indigenous transform their own poor communities. Nursing skills and services are utilized during fully engaged strategic projects which match country health initiatives and support health change. N4N’s addresses multiple interrelated issues during each targeted project it delivers. The organization transcends geographical boundaries by inviting nurses from all over the world to actively serve under N4N’s umbrella. Nurses for the Nations not only looks at addressing the health needs of individuals; its plan is to work with spiritual, social, economic and cultural needs of the villagers through each project and invite villagers to participate. Every program is planned to offer tangible and targeted ways for the poor to interact and become empowered. “It’s like bringing the whole family together. Everyone will have a specific job to do to help tackle the problem,” states Mary McMahon, President of N4N. The villagers who work along side N4N will be trained and educated about serious health issues so they can give back to their families and communities.

Nurses for the Nations 2008

June 2008 Mary travels to the Amazon Jungles of South America on a medical mission trip to bring medication and needed supplies to the indigenous tribes in the jungle villages of Columbia, Peru and Brazil.

July  2008 The vision for Nurses for the Nations is born.  The organization is a grass-roots initiative whose mission is to serve global villages around the world through a ‘bottom-up’ approach in which nurses perform services that tackle multiple interrelated issues in villages through a targeted project specific to the country it supports. Villagers are requested to participate in the planned programs.

August 2008 N4N’s strategic business plans are complete. The official logo is created. Incorporation papers are submitted to the State of Georgia.

September 2008 Initial contact is established with the NIGH organization (Nightingale Initiative of Global Health).

November    2008 The 1023 form is submitted to the Federal Government on November 21st, 2008. N4N begins the waiting period for Federal tax-exemption. International regions of service are confirmed. Application for a federal DUNS number is submitted and obtained.

December 2008 A formal tele-conference ensues between the NIGH Organization in Canada and Nurses for the Nations in the US. Nurses for the Nations is introduced to Nora Mangou in Liberia, West Africa, administrator from the Florence Nightingale Institute of Health Sciences.

Nurses for the Nations 2009

January 2009 Nurses for the Nations’ world-wide-web is launched. Legal services come on board. The FNIHS in Liberia, West Africa officially asks for help.

February 2009 Nurses for the Nations receives word of tax-exempt status from the Federal Government. three months to the day its paperwork was submitted.

March 2009 The first N4N assessment team is formed to travel to Liberia, West Africa. Arrangements are made to visit diplomats at the Executive mansion.

April 2009 The President of Nurses for the Nations leaves nursing full time to run the organization.

June 2009 The N4N assessment team travels to Liberia and meets with the Vice President of Liberia, Joseph Boakai in a formal meeting; the Minister of Health, Dr. Walter Gwenigale and the Director of the Malaria Program, David Wessih. N4N also meets with Tabeh L. Freeman MD, MPH FWACP, Dean and Associate Professor of the School of Medicine, University of Liberia, and the representative for the Liberian Nurses Association. The team visits the local medical clinics outside the city of Monrovia and six remote villages near the Paynesville City area. The trip is made possible through N4N’s first grant funding award. N4N also brings needed medical supplies and medical equipment. N4N receives support and an open door from the Liberian Government through Vice President Joseph Boakai.

August   2009 Board of Directors continues to be appointed. Plans begin to return to Liberia for Phase II of the project to help create malaria-free zones in the six remote town-villages outside the Paynesville City limits in Monserrado county.  A donation is sent to the FNIHS to provide food for the villagers. Six village leaders are identified and appointed to be Health ambassadors and overseer’s for the project through the Nightingale Institute for Health Sciences.  The first annual Board of Director three-day retreat is held in Greensboro, Georgia. The Board of Advisers group is formed and Nurses for the Nations officially welcomes the advisory group to the organization.

October  2009 The FNIHS (Florence Nightingale Institute of Health Sciences) revisits the village’s in the remote areas outside Paynesville City to begin preparation and training for N4N’s return. N4N launches a major campaign to raise money for Phase II of the Malaria project to set up malaria-free zones in the villages earmarked for the project. The professional team members are selected for Phase II of the project. A Board of Director is appointed to assist N4N with national community outreach.

November 2009 Nurses for the Nations launches its new world wide web site. The professional nursing team to Liberia, West Africa is identified and have their first tele-conference in preparation for Phase II of N4N’s 2010 program. The diverse team is made up of Master’s prepared individuals in nursing, education, and public health. The first student joins the African service team. N4N continues to seek donations to fund the project.

December  2009                                                                                                                                                                                     On December 7th through December 13th, The FNIHS will follow-up with the Leaders who are being prepared and initially trained by the FNIHS and review activities in the villages they have been conducting after Florence Nightingale’s team visit in September 2009. They will identify health gaps and conduct a training need assessment. On December 18, 2009, they will conduct a one-day refresher in lower Margibi County before Christmas. The target is 25 participants for the one day training and will be the prelude to Nurses for the Nations team trip in January 2010. Nurses for the Nations and the FNIHS have continued to cement their partnership with each other and mutual work to establish the first malaria free-zone in the remote villages outside of Paynesville City. Through the partnership of Water of Life, the first water-well was installed in the FNIHS school compound. For the first time, the resident’s and children, will be having clean fresh water. All of the N4N supplies for the malaria 2010 village project have reached Liberia, West Africa safely for the team to bring to the remote villages.

Nurses for the Nations 2010

January-February 2010

The N4N team took off to Liberia, West Africa again, flying through Europe to get to the west coast of Africa: specifically, the group re-visited six villages involved in N4N’s project to treat, train and educate the villagers about the disease of malaria and set up malaria-free zones. The villagers were waiting for the team at stations set up for every three villages. Village leaders met at each of the village compound stations to help the team facilitate coordination with village numbers. Some villagers walked long distances to get to the main village hub where the team was stationed. Nurses for the Nations was able to distribute over 250 NETS to the men, women and children in the villages, distributing one to every two individuals. In addition, the N4N team performed health assessments, malaria testing, malaria treatment, counseling and spiritual care to the villagers in addition to distributing garden tools for farming and directions for latrine building. N4N was also able to distribute HIP packages (health-improvement packages) consisting of tooth brushes, soap, toothpaste, cups, deodorants, brushes, combs, washcloths, tissues, plastic forks, spoons and knives etc. to the villagers. The team handed out many toys to the children during their testing; thanks to the donations of Memorial University Medical Center’s Behavioral Health Services in Savannah, Georgia.

Nurses for the Nations spoke to the villagers about the power of community, importance of cooperation and respect for leaders and elders in their communities and cooperation with construction of gardens and distribution of food. The team provided opportunities for income and promotion of a better quality of life for the villagers. N4N partnered with the FNIHS group during all of its sessions and had an additional Registered Nurse and health care workers from Liberia on the N4N team. The team partnership was planned as a cooperative work effort to complete Phase II of N4N’s project to establish Malaria free-zones in the village region. The project was made possible by donations from the public and private sector.

Meanwhile, during the time the N4N was in Africa, Bob McMahon, VP of Humanitarian Services, John Matthews, CPA, CFE, Director of Logistical Operations and Michael Roberts, Owner of M+R Construction in Richmond Hill, Owner, construction builder and volunteer, helped process, facilitate and orchestrate plans for the Life Center for the organization. The building plans for the 5,000 square foot Life Center Building in co-partnership with the Florence Nightingale School and Living Bread Ministries in Liberia is being made possible, thanks to the generosity and work of G& L Residential Designs of Richmond Hill, located on Coastal Highway 17, Suite 202 in Richmond Hill, a professional member of the American Institute of Building designs. As a result of Residential Designs, the first schematics for the building (plans and drawings) are complete. Thank you to Bob, John, Michael and Residential Designs of Richmond Hill!

March – April 2010

Nurses for the Nations spoke at the Emory School of Medicine International Volunteerism Conference April 16th through the 18th in Atlanta, Georgia on empowering indigenous populations through a ‘bottom-up approach’ in service work that includes teaching and training platforms and village participation and involvement.

Nurses for the Nations was honored at the 2010 Tribute to the Community Stars presented by the Savannah Technical College Foundation’s Community Council, Friday April 9th, 2010 at a luncheon ceremony. N4N was sponsored by Bonitz of Georgia, a Commercial/Industrial Institutional Construction family -based company located in Savannah, Georgia. John Coleman, officially represented his company at the ceremony along with Mary McMahon RN, the N4N honoree representing the nursing non profit organization.

Nurses for the Nations will be determining dates to send an assessment team to Haiti and another team back to Liberia, Africa during their monthly BOD meeting this month, to forge ahead with the building plans for the Malaria Life Treatment Center and visit the six remote villages to retest for malaria infection and provide support to the village leaders and villagers.

May 2010

Nurses for the Nations President Mary McMahon,  spoke for National Nurses week in Maryland in an all day seminar called Transformational Leadership, Creating Lasting Value as a Leader and Mentor. The all day talk, included nurse managers, supervisors and senior nurse leaders from Maryland and Washington D.C. Mary discussed defining moments in transformational leadership for nurses, empowering the profession of nursing and encouraging nurses to be change agents for our society and world. Mary also shared about leadership values that motivate us and defined leadership styles that create lasting value in our organizations.

The Life Treatment Center plans for Liberia West Africa are complete. More to follow with N4N’s pictures and stories about the outpouring of support, help and assistance to Nurses for the Nations from the community of Richmond Hill, Georgia.

Nurses for the Nations posts their 2009 Financial Statement and Conflict of Interest Policy on the N4N Website. Nurses for the Nations filed with the Georgia Charitable Solicitations Act

Mary McMahon RN, is the invited speaker at the Georgia Nurses Association Meeting on May 18th, 2010 about N4N’s return trip to Africa and plans for the Life Treatment Center to be built in Liberia, West Africa. The Declaration for Compassionate Nursing Care is introduced and the first signatures launch the initiative for nurses across the United States and nations in the world. The declaration will be introduced on the world wide web and face-book the month of June for signatories that will go to the United Nations for endorsement.

June 2010

Nurses for the Nations Officers begins work on creating “Partnerships that Last”through the creation of strategic models that provide transformational partnerships, teaching and training modules to be utilized in field with Christian non-profits, churches and charitable non-profits. This will enable professional nurses to work in-tandem through mutually vested interests with other organizations in India, South and Central America and Northern Africa. The annual Board of Directors in July, will jump-start the models in order to move forward with expanding N4N’s work internationally.

The ‘Declaration for Compassionate Nursing Care’is introduced for signatures for future endorsement by the United Nations. The purpose for the declaration is now posted on the World Wide Web and invites all nurses, medical professionals and citizens in the United States and other nations to join with one heart and spirit and sign the declaration in support of compassionate holistic nursing care (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) to all peoples of the world.

http://nursesforthenations.org/get_involved/sign-the-declaration

Nurses for the Nations is on face-book thanks to the efforts of our Board of Advisor Keea Taylor.

Nurses for the Nations submits financial records to the Secretary of State, Division of Securities and Business Regulation thanks to John Matthews, CPA, board member.

July -August 2010

The Board of Directors with Nurses for the Nations met in Richmond Hill for a three – day retreat to re-cast vision and structure of the organization. As a result of the three day intense meeting, Nurses for the Nations assessed the economic downturn and conditions of our economy and begun work re-channeling and implementing its ‘Transformational Care Model’ outreach nursing program in order to support and partner with National and International Churches and charitable christian non-profit organization’s.  This direction, in addition to its unilateral commitment to individual in-country partnerships N4N is presently working with, will additionally foster and further support the work for the under-served by partnering in tandem with Church officials in the work of the Great Commandment and Great Commission. This dually expanded transformational model will also additionally assist the Church with their medical programs with the poor and under-served in unreached populations. New Officer positions, in addition to Directorship and Board of Advisor positions will be expanded to accommodate the expanded vision. Richmond Hill Reflections was on board to take pictures of the N4N team, and our story,  is scheduled to come out in their September issue.

September 2010

Nurses for the Nations has complied with the filing requirements of O.C.G.A. and is officially registered as a Charitable Organization in the State of Georgia, and continues as a tax-exempt organization. Non profit organizations are legally required to file, after reaching specified donated fund amounts.

Nurses for the Nations will be holding an annual meeting with its Board of Advisers in September, to further discuss the expanded vision and future mission of the organization.

October -November 2010

Nurses for the Nations begins planning for its West African service outreach to Liberia to continue its project, Operation: ‘It only Takes One Bite. Make Malaria Disappear Once and For All.” New Board of Advisers have been appointed to the organization and Nurses for the Nations begins its first outreach to the African American Community in Savannah, Georgia. N4N reaches out to the public for donations to support their project and return to Africa.

December 2010

Year-end Board members concurred that Nurses for the Nations had a very successful year, despite economic downturns with the country in general and non-profits. N4N continues to grow as an organization and plans to expand its regions in 2011.

January – February 2011

Nurses for the Nations returned from its third service outreach trip to Western Africa on February 28th. The team continued its work with the disease of malaria and established new contact with the Bassa tribes. Plans are underway to expand to the Bassa tribe region to continue work with testing, treating, training and education with malaria upon N4N’s return. Meanwhile, initial plans are underway to start a small free clinic in the remote region through the church. N4N is working with the church with regard to supplies and training and has already been able to supply test kits and provide education.

Nurses for the Nations welcomes Board Advisers, Edward Peletier PhD, John Carpenter, Spiritual Advisor and Roland Bergeron, President of Water of Life. Nurses for the Nations has expanded their partnerships and joined forces with WOL to foster the transformational model of care which is founded on seven pillars for building communities. These pillars include the use of clean water, medical care and evangelizing.

In addition, The President and Board of Directors welcomes Beth Hines, an experienced Masters prepared mission nurse who has her Nurse Practitioner degree.

Nurses for the Nations and the Board of Directors, have recently re-organized their internal professional relationships to accommodate international expansion of the organization. John Matthews, our COO, will be working with the community and Church’s to rally support and financial provision for the continued work of N4N’s mission and vision, fostering partnerships that join in the work of indigenous evangelizing through the transformational model of care.

Beth Hines RN MSN, NP, will be leading the International region of India in Andhra Pradish near Kakinada. N4N will begin their work there with the Dalits, and be working side by side with WOL and Pastor P. in the lower caste villages. Medical and nursing intervention is sorely needed as well as education and training with the villagers. They are cut off from aid, hospitals and treatment because of the cultural beliefs in the region. A June assessment is planned by N4N along with the WOL team, who will be placing more water wells for fresh clean water to the isolated village regions. (Rescheduled for the fall season due to village elections)

Linda Altizer RN MSN is also a Masters prepared nurse and will be leading Western Africa. She is an experienced mission nurse who has professionally assisted in India as well as Liberia. She will be moving forward with the N4N malaria-project with the Bassa tribes, and continue the work to create malaria-free zones, through testing, treating, education and training of African villagers and chieftains in the remote villages.

Nurses for the Nations will also be expanding to the northern region of Africa, joining forces with the CRCA and WOL, to penetrate the remote tribes that live in the bush and have little contact with the outside regions of the country. This present service outreach trip in February by N4N to Africa, will cement the plans to go forward in this area with      the malaria project. In addition, N4N will be visiting a new land site for the proposed building of the Life Center in Liberia that will be more closely aligned to the remote villages where clinics and health areas do not exist for the poor. Meanwhile, plans are underway to start a small clinic for malaria testing and treatment through the Church with the assistance from N4N. Test kits and teaching and training have already been completed. N4N will be exploring the ‘mentor’ program in Liberia to assist and join forces with this training.

Nina Petrarca RN, BSN, is an experienced military nurse and will be leading the region of Guatemala. She will be assessing the needs of the region in the San Pedro region with the poorest of the poor. A May assessment is planned. She will be traveling with N4N’s BOA, Edward Peletier and Guatemalan Team to the region (completed-see May 2011).

Vicki Agyekum RN MSN, will be representing N4N in the Black Community and building relationships to support medical programs, educational in-services and training opportunities for the poor.

The Board deeply regrets to announce the resignations of Sally Welsh RN, MSN and Debbie James RN NP. Both nurses were extremely instrumental in supporting N4N during its growth phase and contributed many valuable ideas, voluntary work and strategy to the organization. Due to family and work commitments, both had to re-prioritize their work because of these obligations. They will both be sorely missed.

N4N will be preparing to search for two new board members in the future who will join the organization and present Board with its strategy and plans.

March - April 2011

Nurses for the Nations attended and spoke at the Global Humanitarian Conference in Atlanta April 1-3rd on the Seven Pillars of Transformational Care at the Emory School of Medicine. The talk was well received and N4N was able to rally more support for the Declaration for Compassionate Nursing Care both from the general public and physician’s from the School of Medicine.

Nurses for the Nations received its 2nd Grant, this time from the Christian Foundation in Alpharetta, Georgia, made possible by the S.L & C.L Valinet Charity Fund. N4N is deeply grateful to the Foundation and Valinet Fund, and there assistance with N4N’s service outreach for the 2011 Andhra Pradesh project in India. We look forward to reporting to both the Foundation and the Valinet Charity Fund, about the success of the project.

Nurses for the Nations has a new board of Adviser, Julia Fine RN Ph.D. Julia comes to the N4N appointment with years of nursing experience as an FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner), professor, writer, and national speaker. Her area of expertise in international work and women’s health (obstetrics and gynecology) will be of value in N4N’s service territories. She has also been involved with medical work in Africa and is warmly welcomed to N4N’s family of service professionals.

May-June 2011

Nurses for the Nations is in Guatemala this week (May 29th through June 5th) to establish and assess teaching and training programs in the San Pedro mountainous areas of the country-N4N’s area of focus: the sex trade and selling of children for money and goods in addition to helping identify and tackle health issues involved in this area. The N4N India team due to leave in June with Water of Life, re-booked the service outreach for the Fall season due to safety issues (with elections) in the region the team was traveling to.

The FNIHS has agreed to a mutual work effort with N4N to start a clinic for treatment of malaria and other disorders for the remote villagers and those West African Liberians who cannot receive treatment due to lack of access and money. The plans are to open the clinic three days a week.  It will be supervised by a Registered Nurse, and overall directed by the FNIHS. N4N will be supplying the test kits, supplies and medications. This clinic is a prelude to the building of the Life Treatment Center Plans.

The official N4N Operations Manual is complete and BOD members have approved its contents. The manual includes written guidelines and operational structures for service operations and nursing team outreach. Presently, all of N4N’s operations since tax-exempt status in February of 2009, has been run on a volunteer basis by very talented Board members, community volunteers and officers. Literally, thousands of hours have been sacrificed by all in the N4N movement. There dedication and courage and dedication of the nurses who have served in N4N international outreach, is truly starting to make the difference. We owe ALL of the success of N4N to the love and provision of God, who is working and moving through generous individuals who understand the value of the vocation of nursing and impact in the world for Christ.

July-August 2011

Nurses for the Nations had it annual three-day retreat at the Ebenezer Retreat Center this year. Board officers and board of directors finalized the MOU’s for the cementing of international partnerships in Africa.  Updated reports were also delivered on N4N’s mission areas, statistics on Africa from testing and treatment of malaria, and a three year snapshot of N4N’s financial climate and in-kind support from the community. In addition, N4N discussed mission dates for 2012.

September 2011

Nurses for the Nations team and the WOL team left for India to work in the Dalit villages and test, treat and train the villagers about the disease of typhoid, which is rampant due to dirty water access. The WOL team, and adviser Roland Bergeron, has been planting water wells for the villagers so that they could have access to clean running water. In addition, the N4N team, is showing the Madelena film, in the native language to inspire hope and Gods love and compassion with the untouchables.

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