Rob Swan, RN returned from his volunteer trip to Hue, Vietnam with Good Samaritan Medical Dental.  Rob helped teach a multi-module trauma and emergency medicine course to Vietnamese nurses of all specialties who are interested in moving into emergency medicine.  Below is Rob’s account of his experiences while in Vietnam:

“We were welcomed with bright smiles by the coordinators of the 2012 Emergency Nursing Medical Conference in Hue, Vietnam.  After much ceremony we were introduced to our translators, some of our students and the classrooms where we’d spend the next week teaching.  The facilities were spartan, but functional, with working fans to circulate the dense tropical air.  Each day, I taught three labs of anywhere from 10 to 15 people each on trauma assessment and head to toe assessment while other RNs from the US taught courses in cardiology, pediatric emergencies, neurology, central and peripheral lines etc.  Every group was unique and it was a challenge to find the balance between cultural sensitivity and encouraging the students to actively engage in the material.  Our students were bachelors trained RNs who had volunteered to take time out of a busy schedule of work and family duties to share in the exchange of knowledge.  Some groups were quiet and reserved and others shouted out answers before I could even ask the question.  On the last day of training our translator took over and taught the last class.  My lab partner and I were emotionally moved to see her give our presentation, with her own style and subtleties.  Our Vietnamese is limited to only a few phrases but we could still easily follow along with her and were so humbled and simultaneously proud to have been a part of her life and learning experience.

We had the opportunity to tour the affiliated hospital and were enlightened to the conditions nurses work in.  One floor boasted 60 beds but those beds were shared by 90 patients.  Only two nurses were available on nights to cover the entire unit.  It was humbling to have our own experiences put into perspective in that way.  We have a different experience here in the US but are still equal in every way to the nurses of Central Vietnam in the ways that define the RN, compassion, intelligence and a love for healing the human body and spirit.  I’m so grateful for One Nurse at a Time for facilitating this experience so that I can contribute to the international RN community but also so that I can continue to grow as an RN.”


Rob Swan, RN, CEN, received a BA in biology from the University of Alaska and his BSN from Creighton University.  For five years he worked as a flight nurse in Alaska and an emergency nurse at hospitals in Louisiana, Alaska and finally Seattle where he discovered One Nurse at a Time.  He is currently enrolled in the Family Nurse Practitioner program at Yale University and has volunteered the past two years teaching part of a trauma course to Vietnamese nurses with the Good Samaritan Medical and Dental Ministries.  He previously spent one year in both Seoul, South Korea and Oslo, Norway as part of his military and work duties.  In his free time he wonders at the marvel that is his four year old daughter, plays hockey and fixes cars.

 Liza Leukhardt, RN will be traveling with the organization Nurses for the Nations to India May 14-24.  Liza will be part of a group of nurses providing charitable medical care in Andra Pradesh, India.  In Liza’s own words:  ”This mission is a dream trip for me. Since I was a teenager, and probably before, I’ve fantasized about doing humanitarian work as a medical person. In my teens, when other kids were listening to rock and roll, I was listening to African folk music, and driving my mother crazy. I’ve been a nurse now for twenty years, and I feel that 2012 is going to be a year of huge transitions and accomplishments for me.  I’ll be starting graduate school in the spring, with the goal of teaching nursing in the near future. I’ve been a hospice nurse for most of my career, so I know a lot about dreams, fantasies, and bucket lists. I expect this mission will be life changing for me. I’ve been blessed with a comfortable life and feel a need to not only broaden my perspective, but show my gratitude. I’m delighted and thrilled to have been accepted by Nurses for the Nations for this mission to the dalit, or untouchables, in India. I expect to work very hard in a tough, dirty, hot environment with people who are ill with diseases I’ve only read about. I expect this won’t be my first mission. I’m thinking about retiring into the Peace Corps. Until then I’d like to use my skills to provide compassionate care to as many people as possible.”

“Nursing is much more than just holding someone’s hand.

It is mathematics, no less than construction.

It is science, no less than a chemist.

It is task management, no less than a CEO.

It is research, no less than a detective.

It is hard work, no less than manual labor.

It is giving, caring and guidance, no less than any advisor.

It is multi-tasking, no less than a foreman.

It is nurturing strengths and working with the weaknesses, no less than a chaplain. It is helping others be all they can be, just like the ad for the Army.

It is accepting that women have strengths, as well as nurturing skills.

It is accepting that men have compassion, as well as caring skills.”

Emily feels fortunate to have worked for Swedish Visiting Nurse Services as a Home Health Nurse. Due to financial constraints, the company closed its doors April 27, 2012. This job meant the world to her, but she refused to let it get her down. “I am taking this layoff as an opportunity to travel to Peru and while help provide medical care in a clinic. I am grateful for this scholarship, and look forward to sharing my experience with others.”

Emily Sorman graduated from nursing school in her home state of Minnesota in 2009, then worked in Hawaii for a year and a half. She moved to Seattle in 2010, and now considers it home. She will be applying for LPN to RN programs this summer. Emily volunteers regularly at my local food bank. She has also volunteered through One Brick at various events for local community and non-profit organizations.

I arrived in Honduras without expectations. Less than three years ago, I completed a career change and became an RN. My desire for my first medical mission experience was to listen, learn, and serve. On Sunday, we prepared the supplies and inventory required for Monday. This preparation sparked a mixture of feelings that I cannot adequately describe: joy, fear, excitement, and the awareness of much needed grace. On Monday morning we left early to provide care to our first village. The drive was beautiful and breath-taking. When I say breath-taking, I don’t just mean the vistas but the road or lack thereof! Our road ended in the heart of the village. I looked out of the window of our trusty school bus and saw hundreds of people smiling and waving.  Off we went to set up our stations! I was assigned to the general medical team. I was supported and encouraged by a nurse who has served on many previous mountain medical teams. She graciously allowed me to set up my station next to her so I could ask questions and learn as I watched her serve the community. My job was to apply nursing skills to access, listen, and provide care. In the US, I provide care to adults who have had general and orthopedic surgery but in Honduras I was to serve all ages. The day was filled with miracles. I was amazed at how a group of virtual strangers became a close team. A team who served with strength and joy among new people, culture, and surroundings. One of the first patients I met was an elderly woman, almost ninety. This woman was amazing! The translator communicated what medical concerns she had but the most important message she wanted to share with me was that she had great faith. She said she knew God would provide healing in her village today and she wanted to pray for me and our team. As she lives alone with no income, she lives her life with the certainty of God’s power, love, and provision. A senora I will never forget.

Each day we visited a different village. We became faster at set up but nothing was routine. Greeting each person, family, and village was like a breath of life, each encounter remarkable and unforgettable.  We were fortunate to provide care to everyone requesting medical attention in each village. At the end of the week, the medical clinic team had served 998 patients. Many had never seen a healthcare professional. As a team we identified concerns in children that would require additional care. The Friends of Barnabas organization will continue to follow and support patients and communities in need. The generous, organized, and ongoing care provided by the organization greatly increases the value of our mission. We may have provided a drop of service but our drop starts the ripple of hope, love, and care sustained and nourished by many.

My career as a nurse pales in description to my experience as healthcare volunteer. I arrived with a heart to serve and was humbled by the great love and acceptance I received. It was a privilege to explore a new country, fall in love with its people, and learn.

How does this affect life now? If I could I would be sending this note from Honduras! I count the minutes to return but while I wait my heart to serve has been refreshed and renewed. I am a nurse. I am blessed with the opportunity to serve, encourage, teach, and provide hope daily. As wonderful as it was to serve villages in Honduras, where I am right now matters. I am thankful for One Nurse at a Time for choosing to compassionately serve people and provide much needed resources both financial and informational. The seeds they plant and nurture bring life to lasting change. ”

Robin Phillips, RN

Beth Langlais, RN traveled with Christian Medical and Dental Association to Haiti March 17 – 25, 2012.  Here is her story: 

“The nine days I spent in Haiti completely changed my life. I went with a team of general physicians, dentists, a pediatrician, chiropractor, physical therapist, pharmacist, and opthalmologist.  In total, there were 34 volunteers. We also partnered with a local Haitian physician and dentist. We set up clinics in a school and church in St. Marc. I worked primarily in triage, routing patients to the proper medical personnel for treatment. I also learned a few Creole phrases by the end of the week.  Over a period of five days, we treated over 1,500 patients. We primarily treated women, children, and the elderly. I saw a lot of skin infections, wound infections, high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes, malnutrition in children, gastro-intestinal issues, and blindness. We also treated several patients with active TB.

I most enjoyed working in triage. It was extremely stressful and exhausting, but it was where I had the most contact with the Haitian people. I learned the Haitian people are very kind and that they desperately need access to adequate medical services. I work in labor and delivery in Seattle and in Haiti, I had to use nursing skills that I had not performed in seven years (since I graduated nursing school). The trip really opened my eyes to the grim reality of healthcare services in the developing world. The conditions Haitians live in are appalling. Most people had no access to running water and proper sanitation. Garbage and rubble overflow in the streets. Many of the patients we treated were living in tents or crudely manufactured shanty homes and walked miles to the clinic. Most people were very nice and appreciative of the care we provided, even though they often had to wait in line for several hours to be treated and we weren’t always able to provide the services they wanted.

The hardest part was when we had to turn people away that needed treatment. We were forced to close early two days because the crowd outside they clinic rioted and tried to break down the door. We also saw patients who needed care that was beyond our capabilities, such as severe gangrene and advanced cancer. It was incredibly difficult to deal with not being able to treat them effectively and to provide the advanced care they needed. It broke my heart. I worked with one three-year old boy who had a severe eye infection. His eyes were extremely swollen and full of pus. We were unable to lay him down flat to examine him fully, because the pressure in his head was too great. The Haitian people had pushed him to the front of the line so that he could be treated first. We were able to give his mother antibiotic eye drops, but he most likely needed surgery to have both eyes removed. We provided his mother with money and transportation to Port-au-Prince so that he could be treated properly. I will never forget his face or the sound of his cries.

This medical mission truly impacted my life. I loved the time I spent in Haiti and working with the Haitian people. I can’t wait to go back and do more work there. The trip confirmed my desire to work in international nursing. I plan to participate in several trips a year from this point on in my life. I would never have been able to experience this trip if I had not received the scholarship from One Nurse At a Time. I am so grateful and thankful for the opportunity I had to travel to Haiti.”

Beth Langlais, RN

Bethany Langlais is a Registered Nurse with a Bachelor’s degree in nursing from Seattle Pacific University. She has been working in labor and delivery for seven years. This June, Beth will complete her Master of Nursing degree, with an emphasis on global health, from the University of Washington, Bothell. She plans to work in the field of global health and pursue her desire to help improve the health of women and children worldwide. Bethany has volunteered on medical trips to New York and Costa Rica while in nursing school, but Haiti was her first international trip as an RN. She is active locally and has volunteered in her community working with local youth as a mentor and healthy living coach. Bethany’s passions include the outdoors, running, travel, and caring for pregnant women.

Allison Godchaux is preparing to leave for Bahia de la Caraquez, Ecuador with Healing the Children. The group will be performing an estimated 100+ pediatric surgeries. Because Allison is bilingual, she plans on working between operating rooms, assisting with what is needed, troubleshooting problems as they occur, and overseeing the recovery room.


Allison Godchaux is a family nurse practitioner, in Kansas, at la Clinica Medica, and LifeWorks Wellness Center.  She received her Master’s of Nursing degree at the University of Kansas Medical Center,  Bachelor’s of Nursing degree at California State University, Sacramento. She enjoys her family, outdoor activities, and bicycling. Every year she rides her bicycle 150-180 miles, to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Allison has been part of a project vaccinating cats and dogs against rabies in Ecuador, with Los Amigos de las Americas;  worked in an orphanage in Mexico, with Los Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos;  and worked in Ecuador, with Healing the Children, as a recovery room nurse for children receiving cleft lip and cleft palate repair. Allison has served in the United States Naval Reserve for 13 years as a Hospital Corpsman, with the Fleet Marine Force, and Naval Cargo Battalions. 

Mary Hogan, RN will be traveling to Kenya with the organization, Mission of Mercy, May 4 – 13. Mission of Mercy is a child sponsorship organization helping to meet the physical and spiritual needs of children in poverty stricken areas of the world.  Through their ministry programs, children receive food, education, medical aid and hope in the name of Jesus Christ.  The purpose of the trip is to raise up and train a new group of health care workers to continue medical care for children who need it. The health care worker program was developed to fill a crucial void that is left when a medical mercy team departs. Health care workers have helped identify and treat chicken pox outbreaks, check on children who need continued care, and respond to acute needs in case of emergency.  Mary states, “I believe the impact of this mission will be exceptional and lasting. To equip leaders in this area with education and knowledge to be able to be medically able to care for children when they are left by themselves is a huge advantage to keeping children healthy.”

Mary Hogan graduated with her nursing degree from Wake Technical Community College in 2003. During nursing school she worked as a nurses aide on mother-baby and post partum unit.  After graduation Mary worked on a medical teaching unit, which was a combination Medical, Renal, Urology and Surgical floor. During her 10 years in this department, Mary’s duties included taking a patient assignment, precepting new nurses and nursing students, and working as a charge nurse. In January of 2011, Mary moved to a Medical-Surgical-Oncology floor at Duke Medicine and is now a certified chemo nurse. She continues in a leadership role as preceptor and charge nurse.  With her oncology experience, she has developed an interest in end of life/hospice care. Mary is currently pursuing her Bachelors degree with the goal of obtaining a Masters degree.  With  a heart for teaching, she plans to teach nursing in the classroom and clinical setting.  Outside of work, Mary enjoys traveling, hiking, gardening, reading and spending time with family.