primary care nurses, nursing care beyond the ... - School of Nursing

eyond the hospitalYouth MinistryPosition a NaturalFit for Nurseby Barbara Benzenhoefer Belski (BSN ’76)Barbara Belski with nurse aides in the medical clinic at St. Mauritz, Uganda.Making a difference in community health in a Third Worldcountry seemed most unlikely when I stepped out of full-timenursing with the birth of my first child in 1979.My path to Uganda began back in April 2000, when theVisiting Nurse Association of Allegheny County (VNA) finallyfell to economic pressures. Having spent 15 years with the VNA,I crash landed into the next crossroads of my career. I found thatthe independence I developed as a home care nurse prepared mewell for my new adventure: director of youth and young adultministries at a large suburban parish.Working with high school students and young adultsinvolves all of the same communication and interventionskills that served me well during my years in nursing. Timemanagement, planning budgets, communicating effectively, anddeveloping leadership and life skills in our teens come naturallyin large part due to my experiences in nursing.Lecturing for the maternity nursing students when Itaught briefly at my alma mater paved the way for future publicpresentations, including many opportunities to teach both youthand adults. I remember as student nurses when we learned thedifference between sympathy and empathy—an essential skillwhen working in youth ministry, especially when introducingteens to working with the poor.As our mission team develops a plan to assist the peoplein Gulu, Uganda, we must recognize the need to empower thepeople to help themselves as much as possible. I draw constantlyfrom my nursing skills; I believe that nurses can make a positivedifference in any situation. My education at the Pitt School ofNursing prepared me well for a lifetime of leadership in mywork and in my community.To learn more, visit www.hopemissionuganda.org.Keepers of the LightKeepers of the Light represent an importantpart of the school’s distinguished history andtradition. The lamp Florence Nightingale carriedon her rounds among the British soldiersinjured in the Crimean War became a symbol ofher efforts to improve the practice of nursing.Through the years, the lamp became the symbolof the nursing profession’s commitment tothe task of ensuring continuous progressand improvement of nursing practice.The tradition of “Passing of the Light” wasestablished as part of the school’s first PinningCeremony in 1943 to symbolize the passingof this commitment from one generation ofnurses to the next. It is a ritual that representsthe graduates’ commitment to the ideals ofexcellence in nursing practice. The studentswho achieve the highest academic standing inthe graduating class are designated “Keepersof the Light” and become custodians of thelight until it is time to pass it on to membersof the next class at the Passing of the Lightduring the following year’s Pinning Ceremony.Keepers of the Light represent a long line ofexcellence in nursing practice at the schooland an ongoing commitment to improve thenursing profession. They represent the best ofthe School of Nursing and the best of the nursingprofession. Many have gone on to practice astop-notch clinicians, educators, researchers, andadministrators all across the country.Becausemultiplestudentsmay havethe sameacademicstanding, theremay be morethan one Keeper ofthe Light in a graduatingclass. There have been two ormore Keepers of the Light in 27 graduating years,including two graduating years when there werefour. There have been a total of 102 Keepers of theLight over the past 66 years.Pitt Nurse spring 2009 11