1. health and fitness

SDBNA Newsletter
SPRING 2015
SAVE THE DATES
Meeting Times:
Second Saturday of
each month
Board-0800—1000
General-1000—1200
Encanto Southern
Baptist Church
6020 Akin Street
San Diego, CA
92114
HOW TO REACH
US:
San Diego Black
Nurses Association,
Inc.
P. O. Box 740088
San Diego, CA
www.sdblacknurses.
org
V O L U M E
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I S S U E
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S P R I N G
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President’s Corner
Greetings,
To our returning and new members, welcome to what I hope will be another great
year for the San Diego Black Nurses Association., Inc. I am honored to serve as
your President and for the first time, with a 1st Vice President, Barbara Perry, and
2nd Vice President, Geri Zollicoffer. We also have an exceptional Board of Directors.
SDBNA plans for 2015 include the following:
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Our Mission: To decrease health disparities through advocacy, education
and health promotion
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Recruit, counsel and assist those persons interested in nursing as a career
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Unite nurses to advocate for health care for residents of this community including the underserved and uninsured
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Work on a collaborative basis with other professional organizations concerned
with providing quality health care for all community residents
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Promote and provide educational opportunities (CEU’s/CH)
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Continue mentorship for students and new nurses
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Provide multiple Flu Clinics through the flu season
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Annual Scholarship Event
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2nd Annual Health Expo
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Annual Prayer Breakfast
We are pleased to announce that on February 11, 2015, the San Diego Black
Nurses Association, Inc was designated as a “Live Well San Diego” partner. Our
website is getting a makeover, please visit our site at: www.sdblacknurse.org. We
welcome your feedback
We meet the second Saturday of every month, except for April, for our Annual
Scholarship Event, and December, for our Prayer Breakfast. Our meetings are
held at: Encanto Southern Baptist Church, 6020 Akin Avenue, San Diego, CA
92114. Our Executive Board meets from 08:00 to 10:00 and the General Membership meeting is 10:00 to 12:00 noon
Ethel Weekly-Avant.
Did you know that March was National Nutrition
Month?
National Nutrition Month is a nutrition education and information campaign sponsored annually
by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign is designed to focus attention on the
importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity
habits. This year’s theme, “Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle” encourages everyone to include
physical activity in our daily routine. “Daily physical activity is a crucial part of everyone’s
healthy lifestyle, but unfortunately most of us don’t include enough movement in our daily
routines,” says Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Academy Spokesperson Jennifer McDaniel.
“Regular physical activity strengthens bones and muscles, reduces the risk of chronic illness and
fosters overall well-being”. Physical activity is important for everyone at every age. “The key is
to find activities that are both sustainable and enjoyable. For some, this may mean a light yoga
class, while for others it may mean training for a marathon. Bottom line: Find manageable ways
to move more.” She offers these ways to get moving:
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Use the buddy system: Join a walking group or attend fitness classes
Participate in social and competitive sports like soccer or flag football
Plan a hiking or canoeing trip instead of a beach vacation
Sign up for a 5K run/walk with friends or family
Sneak in exercise at your desk like leg lifts and calf raises-or even buy a desk that allows
you to stand while working
 Take a 15-minute walk at home or work or walk up and down a flight of stairs if you can
 Find an activity monitor to assess movement through the day-gadgets are very motivating
for some!
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Organization
“Motown the Musical”
Sunday, June 14, 2015
6:30 PM
$40.00
San Diego Civic Center
NCNW 2015 S.T.E.M. Program
Saturday, May 2, 2015
7:00 AM - 3 PM
Bethune Elementary School
6835 Benjamin Holt Road
San Diego, CA 92114
Health Fair
April 25, 2015
Greater Apostolic Faith Temple
138 28th Street
San Diego, CA 92102
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
“Hats Off To Nurses”
Annual Scholarship Event and Luncheon
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Bethel Baptist Church
1962 Euclid Avenue
San Diego, CA 92102
11:00 am - 2:00 pm
$30.00
UPCOMING EVENTS SPRING 2015
GETTING TO KNOW YOU…..
I was born in a small northern California town called Merced, but I consider myself a San
Diego native. My very first job was as an ED admission clerk at University Community Medical
Center and that is where I believe my interest in nursing began. I have been married for 5 years
to a wonderful Navy man named Daniel. He was the first one who really encouraged me to take
my education further, so I enrolled in Grossmont College. After finishing at Grossmont, I applied
to National University. I finally was accepted after my third application and graduated November
2014. My field of interest is women’s health and newborn care. I received my license in January
2015 and I am working hard to plant that first job as a new nurse. My future plans are to return
back to school and obtain my MSN as a Clinical Specialist or Nurse Practitioner. I am glad to be
a new member of San Diego Black Nurses Association because it will provide me with
professional development opportunities while also giving me the ability to give back to a
community that gave so much to me and that is a blessing. Thank You!
Latoya Sharyse Lipscomb
San Diego Black Nurse’s Association, Inc.
ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP EVENT AND LUNCHEON
SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015
BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH
1962 EUCLID AVENUE
SAN DIEGO, CA 92102
11:00 – 2:00PM
Ticket Price $30.00
EVENT INCLUDES:
SCHOLARSHIP PRESENTATIONS
MEET, GREET, and GET TO KNOW SDBNA MEMBERS,
SPONSORS, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, FRIENDS and FAMILY
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CALL 619-262-7781
NURSE RESIDENCY Part 1
And the New Adventure Begins by Kimberley Ensor, BSN
Chapter one, part two is about to begin and I am excited. In three weeks I will begin the nurse residency
program and take a step closer to my fulfilling my lifelong dream of being a nurse. Last month I received
the coveted phone call from a facility I had applied to. After a long telephone interview and two panel
interviews that spanned three months, I was offered a position in their nurse residency program.
So, you might be asking, why part two? Well, nursing school was part one—and it was a challenging but
rewarding time in my life. And something tells me this new adventure I am about to embark on will be
even more so. I haven’t even gone to orientation yet, and drug tests, immunizations, vaccination checks,
and a host of other fun human resource activities are keeping me busy until the big day.
For those who do not know what a nurse residency program is, it is a bridge that takes the newly
graduated nurse and aids in the transformation into a confident practitioner. The programs vary from
state to state, with some being offered by schools of nursing or health care facilities. The length of time
can also vary. I have heard of programs being as small as sixteen weeks to larger programs stemming an
entire year.
Nurse residency programs are not to be confused with New Grad RN positions, even though both are
paid positions. In the New Grad jobs, the nurse is hired on to a particular unit, trained, and expected to
become a part of that health care team. Nurse residency programs work similarly to a medical residency
where the candidate is moved around to various units, gaining exposure and experience. At the
conclusion of the program, the candidate interviews with the unit where there was a potential “right fit”
and if all goes as planned, this area becomes their specialty.
I have heard many a conversation about individuals not content where they are working because of
various reasons: needed a job right away; family members work there; or nothing else was available.
The last thing I want to do is have my very first registered nurse position be a disaster.
The goal of nurse residency programs is to give new nurses the opportunity to be exposed to true nurse
life while they are gaining skills. The once-a-week experience from nursing school only goes so far. Many
facilities institute these programs to aid in increasing retention rates of the newly trained nurses and
allow them the time to develop their competence, communication skills, and become satisfied in their
work.
The residency program I am starting lasts sixteen weeks, where you spend at least 4 weeks on at least
two units. A new resident can spend up to 8 weeks on a unit and then switch to another one. One unit is
acute care and the other is a progressive care unit. Choices range from oncology, orthopedics, and
medical-surgical to trauma/neurology, transplant, and cardiac medical-surgical. The program runs like
school where novice nurses are matched with preceptors on a regular work schedule and at the end of
the shift, the cohort gets together in a post-conference meeting to discuss their day and what they are
learning.
Along with learning the units and the facilities’ policies and procedures, new nurses participate in
simulations with “live” mannequins that make breathing sounds, bleed, deliver babies, and go into
codes. There will be special classes to brush on ECG and pharmacology. And yes, there will be an
Evidence-Based Practice project that will have to be completed. Now we’re really sounding like nursing
school. I’ll pause to say this: nursing is a lifetime of learning. So if you think you’re done with school after
you get your pin and take NCLEX, think again.
At the eleven to twelve week point of the program, the interviews start. This is particularly important
because you want to get picked up by the unit you worked on. Once the decision is made, at the fifteen
to sixteen week mark the new nurse transitions into their new unit permanently, and the position takes
on the expected look of a new graduate position. There is a small graduation of sorts upon completion.
Those that have been through the program are not saying much to me about this. I have a feeling it
must be truly spectacular because everyone that has gone through the program are still working on
their units, still happy and still smiling.
I am eagerly counting down the days. I enjoyed my clinical rotations while in nursing school, so much so
that if someone asked me what I wanted to do it was always that unit I happened to be working on. I
just loved everything, with the exceptions of oncology, mental health, and pediatrics. Those areas were
not at the top of my lists to start my nursing career. So I’ll be spending these last weeks, my vacation,
reading, resting and reviewing for this new chapter in my life. Let the adventure continue!
On Saturday, February 14, 2015, the San Diego Black Nurses Association was designated as a
community partner of Live Well San Diego. The official collaboration award was presented to
the organization by Dr. Wilma Wooten, Public Health Officer, County of San Diego; Barbara
Jimenez, Director of County of San Diego, Health & Human Services Agency, Central & South
Regions; and Jackie Kersey-Hardrick, RN, BSN, PHN, Public Health Nursing Manager, Central
Region.
Live Well San Diego is a long-term initiative of the County of San Diego, with the goal of the
San Diego Community to be healthy, safe and thriving. Although Live Well San Diego began in
2010 as a health strategy, it has evolved into a greater long-term effort to improve the health and
wellness of all County residents. SDBNA’s purpose is to work collaboratively with other
healthcare and community organizations to improve the health of persons in the community; to
provide health education, prevention, and advocacy; to sponsor and mentor nursing students; to
recruit and maintain nurses into the organization; to encourage and assist nurses in seeking
advanced degrees. We look forward to a long, rewarding association with Live Well San Diego.
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We Thank You!
Since October, 2013, Dr. Richard O. Butcher has served as the Medical Director for the San
Diego Black Nurses Association, Inc. In this capacity, Dr. Butcher reviews documents for
SDBNA projects and services requiring a Medical Director’s approval and signature. His
assistance has helped SDBNA to get Influenza Vaccines from San Diego Health and Human
Services every year since 2003. He has also supplied the Flu Clinic with needles and syringes for
the past 2 years, and previously signed a prescription for SDBNA to buy needles and syringes.
Dr. Butcher practices as a General Practitioner specializing in Family and Sports Medicine. He
graduated from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. He has been a practicing
physician for over 50 years. Currently, he practices with the Care View Medical Group, and is
affiliated with Alvarado, Sharp, Scripps, Tri-City and Paradise Valley Hospitals. He has
published numerous articles in the Journal of the National Medical Association and other
professional journals. Dr. Butcher has been an important supporter and Medical expert for the
San Diego Black Nurses Association, Inc., and we could not do what we do without him.
We Thank You!
There are people and organizations that without their support and generosity, SDBNA could not
provide the services to the community at the level that we do today. One such supporter is Pastor
Don. E. Conley of the Encanto Southern Baptist Church. Pastor Conley has graciously offered
SDBNA space to hold our monthly meetings and special activities. Pastor Conley entered the
ministry in 1975, and he began his current pastorate at ESBC in 1981. He and members of his
congregation are always so welcoming and make sure the doors are open and the lights are on.
We thank you Pastor Conley and look forward to many more years of collaboration.
April is National Minority Health Month
The theme for the 2015 Minority Health Month is: PREVENTION IS POWER:
TAKING ACTION FOR HEALTH EQUITY! Health disparities continue to affect
minority populations in disproportion numbers. Prevention plays a critical role in
reducing health disparities. 2015 marks a number of milestones in our nation’s efforts to
reduce health disparities and improve minority health. We will celebrate 30 years since
the release of the 1985 Secretary’s Task Force Report on Black & Minority Health and
100 years since the establishment of National Negro Health Week by Dr. Booker T.
Washington which evolved to National Minority Health Month. Health starts in our
homes, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, and communities. Healthy People 2020
focuses on identifying, measuring, tracking, and reducing health disparities through a
determinants of health approach. The five domains include: (1) Economic Stability, (2)
Education, (3) Health and Health Care, (4) Neighborhood and Building Environment, and
(5) Social and Community Context. SDBNA, along with our community partners,
continues to play a major role in prevention in San Diego County through education and
health screenings. The request for participation from the community outdistances our
ability to assist. As an organization, we need more nurses to step up to the plate and help
with health screenings; requests for First Aid stations; and content experts and speakers at
community functions. Who said, “We can’t be all things to all people, but we can be
some things to some people?” As Margaret Mead stated, “Never doubt that a small group
of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed, it’s the only thing that
ever has”.
JOIN SDBNA AT MOTOWN THE MUSICAL
It began as one man’s story… became everyone’s music… and is now Broadway’s musical.
MOTOWN THE MUSICAL is the true American dream story of Motown founder Berry
Gordy’s journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the
careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson and many more. Motown shattered
barriers, shaped our lives and made us all move to the same beat. Now, experience it live on
stage in the record-breaking smash hit MOTOWN THE MUSICAL!
Sunday, June 14, 2015
6:30 PM
San Diego Civic Theatre
1100 3rd Avenue
San Diego, CA 92102
$40.00
Please make check payable and mail to:
SDBNA
P. O. Box 740088
San Diego, CA 92174-0088
(619) 262-9133
DEADLINE FOR PAYMENT:
MAY 30, 2015
2015 San Diego Black Nurses Association, Inc. Board of Directors Executive Board Ethel Weekly‐Avant‐President Barbara Perry‐1st Vice President Geri Zollicoffer‐2nd Vice President Jacqueline Jones‐Recording Secretary I Barbara West‐Recording Secretary II Michelle Booker‐Stewart‐Treasurer Helen Beavers‐Financial Secretary Stella Roberts‐Corresponding Secretary Committee Chairpersons Denise Alston‐Professional Advancement Tonya O’Neil‐Community Health Lisa Cosby‐Membership and Recruitment, Syvera Hardy‐Publicity and Public Relations Lottie Harris‐Health Care Policy Norine Siglar‐Student Representative Barbara Perry‐Program Committee Barbara West‐Newsletter Priscilla Bramlette‐Parliamentarian Barbara McCorkle‐Constitution and Bylaws Inge Taylor‐Scholarship Syvera Hardy‐Nominating Committee Lisa Cosby‐Website Pandora Lockwood‐Sunshine Committee Historian‐Lottie Harris Christine Sanford‐Member at Large Ida Porter‐Member at Large Iris Roberson‐Member at Large Sharon Smith‐Immediate Past President Editors Corner-Dr. Barbara West-Spring 2015
Why is happiness important? Happiness can mean different things to different
people. In the short term, experiencing happiness can boost our mood and selfesteem. Long term, being happy can drive success, keep us healthy and increase
longevity. It is important to remember that achieving happiness is a process. Our
personal happiness is influenced by the decisions we make and our daily activities.
This means that our actions can make a significant difference in how happy we
feel. There are many ‘how-to’ books about achieving happiness. You can make
your own list, but I’ve found these 10 keys to be the most meaningful to me:
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Do things for others
Connect with people
Take care of your body
Notice the world around you
Keep learning new things
Have goals to look forward to
Find ways to bounce back
Take a positive approach
Be comfortable with who you are
Be part of something bigger
I’ll admit I struggle with some of these. Also, depending on how things are going
at my job, happiness is hard to find. I try to remember my Mother’s favorite
saying, “…if you want to feel good, do good”. Usually she was saying this as she
was dragging me off to another event for our church, but I still carry her words in
my head daily. What have you done recently to make someone happy or to help
others?
The nursing community and SDBNA lost a bright light with the
passing of Louise Madina Grant on Saturday, February 21, 2015.
Louise was born on August 30, 1938 to Clyde Wilson and Madria
Madina Layne Wilson. She and her brother Clyde were raised in a
large close knit extended Barbadian family in Cambridge,
Massachusetts. She served in the U.S. Army from 1956 to 1958.
After her release from the military, Louise united in matrimony
with Donald Woods and their union was blessed with two children, Dana Edward Woods
and Kristina Madina Woods. After her divorce, she began her higher education in
Nursing and received her practical nursing degree in 1958. In 1974, Louise graduated
from Laboure Junior College School of Nursing with an Associate Degree in nursing. She
earned her BSN from Boston College in 1976. When she relocated to San Diego, Louise
worked with the Visiting Nurse Association, and then with the County of San Diego as a
Public Health Nurse. Her specialties included family health, mothers and children, and
later transferred to the HIV/AIDS Department as a case manager. She retired in 2000,
but continued part-time at San Diego Hospice, providing End-of-Life care. She strongly
believed in professional organizations and has been a faithful, long time member since
its inception in 1976 and served as President from 1987 to 1988, as well as participated
and chaired on numerous committees. Louise was a true advocate for health care and
personified nursing professionalism. Her trademark smile and strong Boston accent will
be greatly missed. In addition to her SDBNA family, she leaves to mourn her passing her
devoted daughter, Kristina “Missy” Barlow, Granddaughter Dominique Change,
Grandson Gregory Dana Barlow, Great Granddaughter Jacklynn Botello, Brother Clyde
Grant, and a host of dear extended family members, as well as many friends and former
co-workers. Louise will be dearly missed, but we all know that she will forever be
present in our hearts and our memories.
San Diego Black Nurses Association, Inc.
P. O. Box 740088
San Diego, CA 92174-0088