What I'd like to be when I grow up...
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3940/is_200605/ai_n17175944
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
I was proud of the dress I bought for pocket change at a thrift store last time I went home. ($4).
I was equally satisified having found the perfect pair of Japanese high-heeled open-toed black platform sparkly heels. Also a deal but still cost more than the dress a few times over!
Unfortunately I was still in the "short" row when the women gathered for a group photo.
He didn't know it at the time but Jed captured me here while "stealing" my friend's diet Coke. Even though it "tasted funny" I thought it was my regular Coke that got watered-down by melted ice. *I* thought it was funny anyway. (No I was not drinking... had to get up to work in the AM. We were home by midnight but stayed to dance later than most who didn't have to get up!)
We went to the Marine Corps Ball!
Usually there are several balls to attend - Jed wasn't home to attend the larger "Marine Air Wing" ball but we were able to go to the smaller squadron ball. Quite a big deal since Jed's squadron hasn't had one since he's been out here - always gone during November!
In fact, the only one I'd ever been to occurred before we were even engaged!
Usually there are several balls to attend - Jed wasn't home to attend the larger "Marine Air Wing" ball but we were able to go to the smaller squadron ball. Quite a big deal since Jed's squadron hasn't had one since he's been out here - always gone during November!
In fact, the only one I'd ever been to occurred before we were even engaged!
Jed came home a few days ago... while we were at the Marine Corps Ball we were paging through my camera and came across the pics from my AACN conference. Jed commented, "Yeah, I saw that on our blog. I didn't know you were putting on a conference - did you mention it when we were on the phone? I started reading about it... but then I got bored."
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
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One of our "sessions" brought us to the air base's flight line where some of the Air Force's nurses and airmen talked about their role in critical medical air evacuations and special physiologic considerations for flight. This was neat to see because we often package them up and help get the crew out but don't get to see what goes on inside the aircraft.
I'm posting a few pics from the conference a few colleagues and I put together through our American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Chapter. It was a bit hairy there for a bit and we weren't sure if we would have a conference but it went off pretty well. We were pretty excited about having a board member from AACN National come and talk to us (also happens to be the subspecialty leader for critical-care nurses in the Navy - so he got funded to come speak for us on the Navy's dime (AACN is not a military association but many military nurses are members)) and he's going to do a write-up in AACN's monthly national newsletter.
Below is some background info on our chapter.
Ryukyu Chapter AACN:
Founded in Aug 2006 to serve Navy and Air Force nurse and their department of defense counterparts who are stationed on Okinawa, Japan the Ryukyu chapter is the only chartered chapter of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses in Japan. Our main membership pool consists of active duty members who spend between two to four years stationed at either the US Naval Hospital Okinawa or the 18th Medical Group attached tot Kadena Air Base and encompass all specialties of nurses from neonatal through adult critical care nurses to labor and delivery, medical surgical nurse, and emergency room nurses. The Ryukyu chapter has the distinction of being the only professional nursing organization on the island!
Okinawa is the southern most prefecture of the 47 Japanese prefectures and it comprises an archipelago of 161 islands that stretches over 1300km from southern Japan to almost Taiwan. During the 11th and 12th centuries many different rulers of the island chain culminated into the Ryukyu Kingdom with the ruler of the Satto Dynasty establishing tributary relationships with China back in 1372. Because of this relationship with China they Ryukyu cultural and political development accelerated resulting the political unification of Okinawa in 1422. The Ryukyu Kingdom remained in control of their islands until they became part of Japan in 1879.
The Far East regions of the world have many traditions that find their roots deep in the past and being that the chapter was born in Okinawa our chapter decided to pull from some of these traditions as can be seen in our seal. The main island of Okinawa is topped by a red Torii arch (traditional Japanese gateway usually found at the entrance of sacred places) with an Okinawan Shisha dog (a lion/dog guardian icon found in pairs at entryways of various building thought out Okinawa) on top. Nurse is spelled out in Kanji below and the blue of the sea surrounds it all.
In only its second year of existence the Ryukyu chapter has held two annual critical care conferences offering one of the only on island recourses of continuing education credits for nurses. Many unique stresses like high turnover of membership, deployments of officers from the board of directors, and relative remoteness and isolation of the chapter has made it difficult for this fledgling chapter to survive. Yet the tenacious attitude of the founding officers and the importance of the chapter mission has kept this chapter going and growing for the future. In addition to continuing and expanding the yearly conference offering they are working on incorporating members stationed in Guam, mainland Japan, and Korea, including local Japanese nursing students, offering more local continuing education, as well as encouraging CCRN certification, working on achieving Beacon status for our main unit, and contributing to the growth of the AACN as a whole.
Below is some background info on our chapter.
Ryukyu Chapter AACN:
Founded in Aug 2006 to serve Navy and Air Force nurse and their department of defense counterparts who are stationed on Okinawa, Japan the Ryukyu chapter is the only chartered chapter of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses in Japan. Our main membership pool consists of active duty members who spend between two to four years stationed at either the US Naval Hospital Okinawa or the 18th Medical Group attached tot Kadena Air Base and encompass all specialties of nurses from neonatal through adult critical care nurses to labor and delivery, medical surgical nurse, and emergency room nurses. The Ryukyu chapter has the distinction of being the only professional nursing organization on the island!
Okinawa is the southern most prefecture of the 47 Japanese prefectures and it comprises an archipelago of 161 islands that stretches over 1300km from southern Japan to almost Taiwan. During the 11th and 12th centuries many different rulers of the island chain culminated into the Ryukyu Kingdom with the ruler of the Satto Dynasty establishing tributary relationships with China back in 1372. Because of this relationship with China they Ryukyu cultural and political development accelerated resulting the political unification of Okinawa in 1422. The Ryukyu Kingdom remained in control of their islands until they became part of Japan in 1879.
The Far East regions of the world have many traditions that find their roots deep in the past and being that the chapter was born in Okinawa our chapter decided to pull from some of these traditions as can be seen in our seal. The main island of Okinawa is topped by a red Torii arch (traditional Japanese gateway usually found at the entrance of sacred places) with an Okinawan Shisha dog (a lion/dog guardian icon found in pairs at entryways of various building thought out Okinawa) on top. Nurse is spelled out in Kanji below and the blue of the sea surrounds it all.
In only its second year of existence the Ryukyu chapter has held two annual critical care conferences offering one of the only on island recourses of continuing education credits for nurses. Many unique stresses like high turnover of membership, deployments of officers from the board of directors, and relative remoteness and isolation of the chapter has made it difficult for this fledgling chapter to survive. Yet the tenacious attitude of the founding officers and the importance of the chapter mission has kept this chapter going and growing for the future. In addition to continuing and expanding the yearly conference offering they are working on incorporating members stationed in Guam, mainland Japan, and Korea, including local Japanese nursing students, offering more local continuing education, as well as encouraging CCRN certification, working on achieving Beacon status for our main unit, and contributing to the growth of the AACN as a whole.
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