As I write this, the Midwest is facing Winter Storm Elliot. I saw a funny on social media that welcomed him through, and it was a photo of a certain extraterrestrial being that we know and love-E.T.. The image made me laugh, of course, and then I began to think about this representation a little bit. When I first became a WOC nurse, I saw a lot of E.T. dolls/stuffed animals and the like at conferences and meetings, and I understood the correlation then. ETs were well known at their facilities for the specialized help they were able to give to those who were undergoing ostomy surgery and the life beyond. I have seen fewer and fewer E.T. dolls as the years pass, but that does not signify the diminishing of impact, by any means, that WOC nurses have yet today.
Winter storm Elliot has not hit Indiana yet, but he has incited a flurry of activity. People are paying attention, hurriedly moving around, making plans for something they were not prepared for, and trying to make the best of the next several days. Do you see the parallels that I see? People who have WOC issues often have sudden onsets, without warning. This life event causes a flurry of activity: consultations, appointments, medications, and tests, all of which can be stressful. These folks find themselves making plans for something they did not prepare for, and maybe had no warning for, and they are trying to process it all, facing an unknown future. And all the while, here we are, the modern version of our foundation. Still using caring principles, developing and implementing sound science, finding solutions to difficult situations, all the while knowing that we are prepared despite that person's personal storm.
As I write to you today, I am acutely aware that my time as President will end soon. I continue to be very excited about the Society, and at this time of year, along with you, I look forward to welcoming newly elected members to the Board of Directors and to the Nominations Committee. I look forward to WOC Nurse Day in April and cannot wait to see and hear what you will each do to celebrate. Also, this is the time to sign up to volunteer. We always have needs for volunteering. Many people think that once you volunteer for something you do that for years and years ... and that has been true sometimes. However, we have both short- and long-term projects where volunteers are needed. As far as who can volunteer, any member can. Please consider your areas of interest and complete a volunteer application today. You should be seeing announcements and notifications about this. If nothing else, please send an e-mail to mailto:[email protected] and we will help you get plugged in.
Also, by now, I hope you have registered and made plans to come in person to Las Vegas in June for the Annual WOCN Society Conference-WOCNext. It will be quite a program, and we hope that the diverse topic areas are just exactly what you need to enhance your practice. The National Conference Planning Committee works hard to provide great education, and this year will not disappoint. Live streaming will be available, but there is nothing like in-person idea exchanging and relationship building. I do hope you can attend.
As your spring unfolds, I wish you health and happiness and invite you to contact me directly with your stories and challenges. I love hearing from you and problem-solving, just listening or discussing what challenges you are facing.
Respectfully,
Dea J. Kent, DNP
President
WOCN Society