NEW YORK NURSE: December 2007
by Joely Johnson
Gift-buying is a generous holiday habit that is meant to spread joy to our loved ones – but more often winds up filling closets and drawers with unneeded items. This year, consider making a gift in the name of a friend, family member, or co-worker to a nurse-friendly cause. Here are five groups that provide crucial services, educational support, and volunteering opportunities for nurses.
Nurses House - www.nurseshouse.org
Nurses House is a nurse-managed, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping registered nurses in need. Funds donated to Nurses House are used to provide short-term financial assistance to RNs who may be facing a personal crisis due to illness, injury, or disability. Over the past three years, Nurses House has helped nearly 300 nurses, with grants totaling almost $300,000. Donations allow Nurses House to provide emergency assistance to as many RNs as possible.
The Foundation of New York State Nurses - www.foundationnysnurses.org
The Foundation of New York State Nurses is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to increasing public knowledge and understanding of nurses and the nursing profession. Financial gifts allow continued and expanded educational activities through various initiatives including the Center for Nursing History, the Center for Nursing Research, and the Center for Public Education.
Sigma Theta Tau International Foundation - www.nursingsociety.org
The Sigma Theta Tau International Foundation for Nursing supports Sigma Theta Tau International, the Honor Society of Nursing, by actively raising money to provide research grants, scholarships, and leadership awards for nurses. Donations also support programs and services benefiting members, the nursing profession, and the global populations they serve.
National Student Nurses Association Foundation - www.nsna.org
The National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) mentors future nurses and fosters their professional development by providing educational resources, leadership opportunities, and career guidance. The organization has more than 45,000 members in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Foundation of the NSNA has distributed more than $2 million in scholarships for undergraduate and graduate nursing education.
Nurses With A Purpose - www.nurseswithpurpose.org
Nurses With A Purpose (NWP) brings nurses to areas of crisis and disaster around the world. Donations to NWP can be earmarked to sponsor a volunteer RN to provide nursing to a needy community. An average assignment costs $3,000, which includes airfare, lodging, food, visa, insurance, ground transportation, and vaccinations. As a sponsor, you’ll receive information about the project, as well as an update from the RN upon completion of the assignment.