By virtue of our profession we are constantly caring for others and it doesn't stop at the workplace. Upon arrival at home we continue our caring, to our loved ones, neighbors and friends. We may even stop on the way home to watch a child's athletic event and are called upon, or perhaps stop to participate in a volunteer activity because we care. But who is caring for us? Caring comes in many forms. It may be as simple as a kind word or a friendly pat on the shoulder by a colleague. Or, at the other end of the spectrum caring can be demonstrated by providing financial support for the pursuit of educational and/or professional goal(s) of an individual or many individuals; this form of caring can be the most difficult as it requires either significant financial support by one source or contributions by many.
The NAON Foundation is a source of caring for orthopaedic nurses but in order for us to provide our care it will take "Nurses Caring for Nurses". How can you demonstrate care for your NAON colleagues? The NAON Foundation Trustees have established the following goals to provide educational opportunities to NAON members:
* $250,000-endowment of a named scholarship for a specified goal designated by the donor
* $100,000-an academic scholarship to complete his/her Doctoral degree
* $40,000-an academic scholarship to complete his/her Masters degree
* $25,000-an academic scholarship to complete his/her Bachelors degree
* $10,000*-five (5) scholarships to NAON's annual educational conference
* $5,000*-scholarship to attend Leadership Development conference/programs
* $3,000*-three (3) scholarships to attend the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeon's annual educational conference
* $3,000*-a scholarship for an international orthopaedic nurse to attend NAON's annual educational conference
* $3,000*-a scholarship for a NAON member to attend an international orthopaedic nursing educational conference
* Proposal dependent grants for nursing research/evidence-based practice studies to enhance orthopaedic patient care
*does not include administrative cost
Although our goals may seem ambitious they can be reached easily with your caring. If each NAON member donated at least $15.00 to the Foundation we would have funding for seven (7) of the nine (9) goals!! If each NAON member approached a family member, physician, employer or corporation and obtained a donation we would have the potential for reaching ALL of our goals in 2009!!
All contributions, large and small, are appreciated. A customized gift proposal can be created such as planned giving, endowment (restricted or unrestricted) or special scholarship. We encourage consideration of a charitable gift annuity, bequest or security/stock donation to support any educational scholarship or project in your financial planning.
Won't you care enough to make and seek donations for the NAON Foundation and make "Nurses Caring for Nurses" a reality?
George S. Patton