President’s Message.
It is my delight and pleasure to welcome you to the website of the Nigerian Nurses Association of USA [NNAUSA]. The Association is a 501 [c] 3 registered non-profit organization formed in 2002, to serve all licensed professional nurses of Nigerian origin and heritage resident in the United States. It is based in New York City and its membership is made up of Registered Nurses, with license to practice in the United States.
NNAUSA is an Association with a unique mission, goals and objectives. Its primary mission is to improve the health of Nigerians and their communities by: (a) promoting proper health conduct, increasing health literacy and providing free health screening to the Nigerian and other communities in the United States; and (b) encouraging and assisting its members to attain the highest professional standard and seek greatest height through education and mentoring.
As enunciated in its Constitution, the goals and objectives of NNAUSA are to: assist the Nigerian community in making healthy lifestyle changes necessary by providing information needed to make informed decisions; promote health maintenance and well being among Nigerians and other communities in the United States and in Nigeria; secure funding through fund raising, donations and grants to support NNAUSA programs; foster educational and professional growth among Nigerian nurses living in the USA and in Nigeria through networking and mentoring; assist newly migrated Nigerian nurses and Nigerian nursing students to adapt to nursing profession in the United States; unite all Nigerian Nurses in the United States towards promoting the highest standards of professional practice, educational, cultural advancement and socio-economic stability; provide forum or avenue where Nigerian Nurses in United States speak with one voice and uphold the international code of nursing ethics; promote and support the laws or reforms on matters affecting nursing; and collaborate with other organizations in addressing current issues of health care in Nigeria such as, but not limited to HIV/AIDS, Genital Mutilation, Communicable Diseases, Mental Health, Women’s and Children’s Health, Gerontological Health, and Rural Health.
Therefore, our vision is for the Association to be at the forefront of health promotion by serving the healthcare needs of the Nigerian communities in the United States and Nigeria, and upholding the proper image while fostering the welfare of Nigerian nurses as a professional group.
To date, the Association has assisted underprivileged, poor, uninsured citizens and immigrants with preventive health screenings like mammograms and HIV Test; educated Nigerian communities of the ways to prevent major medical problems associated with Maternal and Child Health, Hypertension, Diabetes, Stroke, various types of cancer, HIV/AIDS and many other disease conditions; provided counseling on ways to prevent and or stop the abuse of children, women and the elderly in our communities; provided much-needed medical equipment and supplies to hospitals and clinics in Nigeria; explained the havocs inherent in the abuse of drugs, including illicit drugs, to the community, especially the youth, and referred the addicted to community resources available to assist in their rehabilitation.
I am proud to inform the reader that our Association has undertaken several preventive health education fairs in the New York Metropolis and surrounding states and provided free First-Aid, Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar screenings at various functions and events organized by organizations in the Nigerian community. Such activities have earned the Association for community service awards in six of its first seven years of existence.
As professional nurses from a country that is rich in traditions that emphasize high moral values, and a display of our cultural heritage, we are united, regardless of our state of origin, age, gender, or language, in a common goal mandated by the ethics and oath of our calling. Towards this end, NNAUSA utilizes all available resources at the local, national and international levels to enhance its professional standing and to achieve acceptance and recognition among other associations like American Nurses Association (ANA), National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurses Associations (NCEMNA), and National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives [NANNM], to name a few. NNAUSA is a proud member of the United Nations Global Compact and is deeply committed to its ten principles and the accomplishment of the UN Millennium Development Goals
The success of an association depends on the unity, dedication, and commitment of its members. Equally important is the number of members an association has since member strength can be a vehicle for bringing important issues to the forefront of public opinion. I am proud of the membership of the Association and wish to register my thanks and appreciations for their decision to entrust its leadership into my care. To Nigerian nurses out there who are yet to become members, I extend our Association’s invitation for their membership. Let us, together look forward to the Association’s continued successes in all of its endeavors
Let me conclude this short message by pointing out our organization’s needs for the successful implementation of its mission. A lot of Nigerians in the United States either do not have or cannot afford medical insurance. Also, so many of our people back home do not have access to essential healthcare services. They are, mainly, poor, disabled, women, children, and unemployed. They depend on organizations like ours, the NNAUSA, for their healthcare needs. Consequently, I wish to use this medium to strongly appeal to hospitals, nursing homes, schools, churches, organizations and individuals for assistance in securing the resources we need. Our needs include the following:
.Office Space
◦Warehouse space
◦Financial Support
◦Medical and Dental Equipments and Supplies such as: -
Needles, Syringes
Beds
Blankets
Mammogram Machines
Portable X-ray Machines
Bandages and Gauzes
Wheelchair
Canes and Walkers
Blood pressure and Blood Sugar Screening Tools
Nebulizer equipment
Incentive Spiro meter
Pulse Oximeter Equipment
Medications such as antibiotics, anti-hypertensives, anti-cholesterols, Pain and fever Relievers, anti-malarial, medications against river blindness and HIV-AIDS.
No contribution is too small. Your donation of a dollar will go a long way in supporting our efforts. We cannot do everything, but with your kind support, we can impact the lives of thousands, and we are counting on you.
Inquiries, comments or donations should be made payable to “NNAUSA” and sent to the headquarters at: Nigerian Nurses Association of USA, P. O. Box 260008, Bellerose, NY 11426. Our telephone number is: [718] 862-2545. You can send your e-mail to …
Thank you for visiting our site.
Taiwo Adeniji, RN-BC, MSN, ANP
President
