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SDONS Member Instrumental in Establishing Nursing School in Ghana, West Africa

Lori Johnson recently had the opportunity to have Rita Callahan update us about the school she is starting in Ghana.

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I walk among angels. When I turn to academia to find the definition of angels I see “They generally appear in the role of God’s messengers to mankind. They are His instruments by whom He communicates His will to men…”

I recently had the privilege of interviewing an angel. You may know her, too. Her name is Rita Callahan, an instrument ‘by whom He communicates His will to men.’ I thought I would take Rita’s answers to my questions and use them to write an article, but I found that Rita’s words tell the story better than I ever could. The following interview tells the story of Rita R. Callahan RN, MSN, PhD, oncology nurse, teacher, angel.

Q: Rita, please tell me about the school you helped found and the community it serves.

A: The Human Factor Leadership Academy (HFLA) is founded by Professor Senyo Adjibolosoo, PhD, a faculty colleague at Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU). The academy will comprise several programs; the School of Nursing will be one of the programs. In speaking with the young men and women in Ghana, they indicated a desire to become a nurse. The school will actually be developed in the town of Akatsi (outskirts of Ghana, West Africa).

Nurses are very much needed in this country where HIV/AIDS as well as other physical and mental health issues are greatly reflected in the morbidity and mortality rates in the communities. There is a need for professionally educated, evidence-based nurses to better serve the local communities. The closest nursing program that exists today is 45 miles away from the people of Akatsi. The population in Akatsi is approximately 110,000. This area needs more programs developed to assist the people; the few clinics that presently exist are not enough to serve everyone. The young teenagers in Akatsi range in age from 15-20 years. Upon our initial trip to Akatsi, we communicated with the young people: 8 out of 10 girls and 4 out of 10 boys have expressed an interest in becoming nurses.

Q: What prompted you to start this school? How did you learn of the need for it? Was there any one person or thing that inspired you? Why did YOU choose nursing?

A: I was asked by Dr. Adjibolosoo to assist in the development of the nursing program. When I heard about the project, I was thrilled to take part. I have always wanted to be a part of something as great as this, in helping others, especially the young. Establishing the nursing program, as well as other programs associated with the academy will assist in accomplishing several goals: Long-term provisions in alleviating suffering from illness and diseases (like malaria) in the country of Ghana through training of new nurses, establishing an opportunity for employment in nursing which would help the economic of Ghana, and instill leadership in the young to perhaps be a part of the solution to the country in making life more productive and viable.

I am a true advocate for nursing, adequate healthcare, helping the young, and providing service in anyway that I can. The HFLA is being developed with hope, love, spirit, and faith in mind. As a Christian nurse, this project touched my mind, heart, and soul to give back to those who are in need.

Q: What financial and logistical hurdles did you have to overcome?

A: Establishing the HFLA nursing program did come with challenges. A real challenge was funding. My nursing colleague and I wrote a grant twice that assisted in our traveling to Ghana. This was helpful, as it is expensive. Adjusting to the travel time was new for me; over 20 hours the initial time and approximately 18 hours thereafter (took a different route). In addition, we as Americans wanting to develop in another country took patience and open communication with appropriate dignitaries. It was important to meet and speak with the mayor of Akatsi, communicate with the education council, meet and discuss plans with the Nurses and Midwives’ Council of Ghana, and meet with secondary school principals and teachers about what topics or subjects were the students already receiving. We met with physicians and a nurse practitioner. It is imperative to assess what is available and what would be needed. Dr. Adjibolosoo had already acquired the future land (growth of the academy), the present academy building (see photo in newsletter), and the library. We visited hospitals and clinics to assess for nursing clinical sites. Most important, we maintained communication and contact with the future students of the academy.

Q: What support did you have? Financial support? Emotional support? Did you have a mentor?

A: Again, travel funding was provided from the grants (PLNU) and other necessary finances (housing, food, etc.) came from our own monies. Dr. Adjibolosoo always provide exceptional support prior to traveling and upon traveling. I have met some wonderful people in Ghana who very much support this project. I have to thank those of you (nursing colleagues in San Diego) who have been so gracious in your support of my work with this project. Many of you have donated hundreds of nursing books to the HFLA library, and the students are grateful. The two – five year old books are like 2009 books to the students, for they had no books in the beginning.

My family and friends have been a wealth of support while working on this project. My PLNU friends have all been supportive as well. The children in Akatsi have provided excellent emotional support – they are so precious. It was difficult upon my first arrival, to see such poverty and need. Moreover, it just illustrated how much I had to assist in this project.

The wonderful hosts while in Ghana were great mentors and now are great friends. I am so committed to this project. I have taken the opportunity to mentor a young woman in Akatsi who is 23-years-old and very much wants to become a nurse. I meet with her each trip I make and correspond with her. I provide her with nursing books so that she may begin studying nursing ahead of time. I am establishing a scholarship for Benedicta’s education when the nursing program begins in 2010. I would like to encourage other nursing colleagues to follow me in the support of a nursing student with the HFLA.

Q: Tell us about yourself; your background, your educational achievements, your career path.

A: I am the only child of eight who really liked school and went on to college. I began my nursing career in Houston, Texas and completed it here in San Diego. I obtained my BSN degree from San Diego State University (SDSU), my master’s degree from the University of Phoenix, San Diego, and my PhD from the University of San Diego. I have worked in medical-surgical and oncology nursing as a nurse. I have always enjoyed my work with oncology patients. When it comes to nursing, my two loves are patient care first and teaching second. I have taught nursing for eleven years now. I presently am an associated professor at PLNU, teaching sophomore and master level students. Teaching (at numerous levels) is my passion.

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I want to thank Rita for sharing her story. She has certainly traveled the road less traveled and, in doing so, she leads the way for the rest of us.

Lori Johnson RN, BSN, OCN;
QA & Staff Development;
Moores UCSD Cancer Center

Report from Scripps Oncology Nurses Symposium, Oct. 2009, by Lori Johnson, RN, BSN, OCN


		In October, 2009, I had the pleasure of attending the Scripps 29th Oncology Nurses Symposium for the first time this year. The program came highly recommended and I was not disappointed. The curriculum covered everything from updates on Infectious Diseases and Neutropenic Management to Compassion Fatigue and the Use of Therapeutic Writing for Patients and Caregivers. I have skipped large conferences for a few years because I wasn’t learning anything really new, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that I learned things from each and every talk. Here are just a few of the things I learned… • VRE (vanco-resistant enterococci) can easily transmit the resistance genes to other, more dangerous bacteria, such as staphylococci. • Three recent randomized studies have demonstrated no significant differences in the rates of infection between patients allowed to eat a regular diet (including ray fruits and vegetables) and those patients restricted to a low microbial diet (Gardnet et al., 2006; Van Tiel et al., 2007) • Primary cutaneous melanoma may arise in an atypical or dysplastic nevus however more than 60% are believed to arise de novo (not from a pre-existing lesion). • Spaniards do not consider themselves part of the Hispanic culture; they identify themselves as Europeans. • There is evidence that writing 1) reduces emotional inhibition and factors that create disease, 2) strengthen antibody responses to Epstein Barr virus, and 3) creates positive short term autonomic effects, e.g. lower blood pressure or heart rate (from the research findings of James W. Pennebaker). • Both MRI and CT imaging are used in Radiation Therapy because the MRI provides the anatomic image that the MD needs to plan treatment and the CT density image is needed by the Physicist to plan dosing. • WTF stands for Wow, That’s Funny…boy did I have that one wrong! • Vitamin D is a natural steroid…so a supplement of 1,000 units daily can help reduce inflammation. • A Press Ganey report concluded that, “A 1% Change in Morale equals a 2% Change in Patient Satisfaction.” Not only did I learn things at this conference, I met some wonderful people, and had the opportunity to get to know a couple of coworker a little better. I want to thank SDONS for the scholarship that I received to attend the conference. I truly appreciate the support! Lori Johnson, RN, BSN, OCN; QA & Staff Development; Moores UCSD Cancer Center; La Jolla, CA

Reports from ONS Congress, May, 2009


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Reports from ONS Congress, 2009----

Freci Portugal, RN, reporting ....on "My Life Since ONS Congress"

Attending the ONS Congress has been quite an experience. I have been with ONS for over 20 years and always look forward going to the monthly meetings and the annual Oncology Nursing Congress.

I first attended ONS Congress in San Diego in 1992(?) and got hooked. Even though I could not go every year, I have stayed close to our local chapter, SDONS. Since the last Congress here in San Diego in 2001, I have been lucky enough to be able to attend Congress every year.

I have learned a lot from the Congresses that I've attended. Attending Congress has enriched my own view of my profession beyond my expectations. I have been blessed to be apart of this organization. For those of you who have not been to any Congress, you should try it. I promise you, you will not regret it and you can get hooked!

There is so much to do at Congress (not to mention the adventure of going to different places every year and the differrent hotels which are not really differrent from each other). From early morning to late night, it is almost non-stop activities: breakfast meetings at 0600 AM (and you have to be in line by 5:30, which means you have to wake up early and if you are from the other side of the country with 2-3 hours time difference, you can figure it out), lunch meetings and dinner meetings. In between are classes/ sessions and a lot of them to choose from. You also have to make time to visit the Exhibit Hall.

Whatever you choose to do, there is always information to learn about cancer treatments, research and evidence based practices. There's too much to remember! You will also meet thousands of nurses whose passion is like yours and wherever you go, they are there... following you and having as much fun. There seems to be a special connection among oncology nurses! Just a precaution, by the end of the day, your "brain will hurt" and you will have "tired feet"!

This last Congress 2009 was held in San Antonio, Texas. It was as great as the other ones. There were many discussions/topics, including symptoms management to new treatments to evidence-based practices to radiation to new use of chemo drugs to why a patient wore lipstick to her mastectomy.

Other Congress locations include 2008-Philadelphia, 2007-Las Vegas, 2006-Boston (re-located from New Orleans), 2005- Orlando, 2004-Anaheim, 2003-Denver, 2002-Washington D.C., 2001-San Diego. Congress has also been held in San Francisco. Next year's Congress will be here in San Diego and we will make it the best ever! We have a group of committed, energetic and creative members willing to give of their all. SDONS has been a "Chapter of the Year" recipient. We have members & board members, who have been recipients of various awards and scholarships from National ONS. We also are proud that our members (Cindy Jones and Ann Taylor) were awarded OCN Nurse of the Year from National a few years ago. I'm very proud of our chapter!

So at the end of December, 2009, look out for National ONS to open the registration for Congress. Wouldn't it be great if all 210+ SDONS members attend the 2010 ONS Congress in San Diego?!?

You deserve to go. You are an Oncology Nurse!

Freci Portugal, RN; Kaiser; San Diego

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Amy Nance-Thompson, SDONS Secretary, reporting…

WOW!! I can't believe how quickly Congress 2009 came and went. 5,000 energized oncology nurses descended on San Antonio this year to update their knowledge with a plethora of classes ranging in topics from basic to advanced. There were so many great topics scheduled it was hard to choose which to attend. And once learning opportunities had concluded for the day many of the nurses were able to experience the culture, history and tastes of San Antonio.

Geralyn Lucas gave a memorable and awe-inspiring keynote address. Geralyn wrote the book "Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy" which detailed her experience with breast cancer. Her talk had me laughing and crying throughout. Geralyn talked about her journey through diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy, and reconstruction. She also talked about how much she came to depend on her chemo nurse and how much she admired her nurse and came to think of her nurse as her angel. I think Geralyn had one of the best lines of the week. She was recounting a conversation she had with her oncology nurse. They were both attending a funeral. She asked the oncology nurse how our profession dealt with the loss of their patients. The nurse, who was crying at the time, remarked "we drink" and after a pause added "alot". Listening to Geralyn made me realize why I chose to work in oncology nursing. We have so much knowledge as oncology nurses, but more than the knowledge that we bring to our patients, it's the caring and compassion that we provide that touches them and their families. Yet the words of Geralyn's nurse showed me that we also need to keep our sense of humor intact as it helps us to deal with the sadness that is innate in our profession.

I was able to attend a wonderful session on nutrition at congress. The speakers gave a great review of nutritional needs and goals in the chemotherapy patient. Also discussed were common diets and pros/cons of the diets, herbal supplements and what the research says, and proper dosages of several vitamins. One of the best tips I received from this talk was in helping patients deal with the metallic taste changes that so many of them experience. It hadn't really occurred to me that the silverware that most of us use can actually increase the metallic sensation that chemo patients notice. I had one of those "duh" realizations when I heard that encouraging patients to use plastic ware might help decrease the metallic taste and increase their ability to eat, thus maintaining nutritional status.

Several other sessions I attended were quite informative as well. The talk on chemo resistance and novel agents discussed the new agents to gain FDA approval in the past year. The main point I took away is that we've come a long way in the past year but we still have so far to go before we gain a handle on treatments that increase survival while decreasing side effects. The talk on pancreatic cancer gave a solid overview of current treatments which currently exist. Genetics and risk factors were informative, but what struck me most was the affirmation that pancreatic cancer is still such a silent disease that we normally can't diagnose in the early stages. It drove home the point as well that there aren't really any effective treatments for later stage disease and just how important clinical trials are in researching newer and better treatments. Finally, the session on preventing and managing infections in neutropenic patients was an excellent review while reinforcing the importance of proper management and education to the patient experiencing neutropenia.

All in all this was the best congress I've attended thus far. I'm looking forward to Congress 2010 next year and the sessions that will be offered. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Congress is here in San Diego next year. The hospitality of San Antonio was nice, but we all know that San Diego hospitality rocks best. Here's to next year and Congress 2010 - Spring Break for Nurses !!

Amy Nance-Thompson RN, MSN, OCN; SDONS Secretary, 2009