23/12/2022
Fellow Veterans,
As we climax another year, it’s time we take an inventory of our activities, particularly those that concern our professional growth and development. Pondering these things allows us to assess the need for adjustments and re-adjustments given our unique situation and abilities.
It will be very common for questions to arise in one’s mind. Questions intended to stimulate the intellect in harnessing skills and abilities that will help us advance professionally. What did I do to advance my career over the course of the last twelve months? What were my professional successes during the year? What challenges did I encounter during these months and what did I do to overcome these challenges? Do I have plans for the months ahead? What are the prospects of these plans for the year ahead? These questions and many more may pop up spontaneously or sporadically as you go along in your thought process. What’s important to remember is that the generation these questions signifies our desire to advance. Meanwhile, asking them does not show we will progress; but what we do in response to their generation, ensures progress, its direction and pace.
Answers to these questions may be apparent or, in some instances, difficult to come by. Whatever the case is, we need not fret as the primary objective is for us to keep progressing. It’s important not to attempt brushing aside these questions and the curiosity they generate! Rather, we are encouraged to endeavor to seek out solutions to them as they may just unlock those doors to a flourishing career that may have been eluding us.
It’s always commonplace for professionals like us to get fixated on our current jobs and daily routines. Have you asked yourself about life outside your daily routine? How often do we attempt to view life outside our routines as counter professional? These questions gain their relevance from the fact that today’s professionals are an embodiment of the reality of our time. Are you living in today’s world or yesterday’s? Another area to contemplate as we seek to be fully rounded professional nurses that our colleagues and patients can rely on.
Throughout history, successful professionals are seen to either establish networks or be a standout member of an existing network through reforms and progressive roles played. This speaks to a sense of community. We depend on one another to achieve our goals for patient care, directly or indirectly. This interdependence defines the notion of team work that echoes throughout the history of nursing education and practice. In our situation, we have various organizations/institutions. But of particular common interest is the Winifred Jewel Harley College of Health Sciences at the United Methodist University. This is the establishment we all hold dear as a source of our enlightenment. This common interest led to the establishment of the Network of Winifred Ganta Graduates (Net-WinGGs). We are very grateful to the progenitors of this brilliant idea, one which helps to keep us united for a common purpose as enshrined in our constitution and bylaws.
Many of us have contributed and continued to contribute to the growth of the organization. To you, this organization is very grateful. What you continue to do will definitely be carved out in the annals of time as we will do everything we can to perpetuate the life of this organization as long as we live. We say thank you!
Some of us have just been here observing and not contributing even a line of greetings when it matters! One can only imagine the reason behind your decisions. We dare not think that you don’t care or don’t wish the organization well. Whatever the challenge is that is keeping u from being actively involved, we hope and pray it’s dealt with so that you can join us. We also ask that u look at this organization as your own and not anyone’s. Those who are active members do also have issues; but as professionals should be a part of a professional community, they have elected to prioritize this community of Veterans. We look forward to your participation in the months ahead.
My Fellow Veterans, I want to thank all of you for your contributions (in any forms and manner) to the organization. May the new year be full of many opportunities for you in your professional drive. May our community of NetWinGGs Veterans be a vibrant one that will promote Winifred and fellow Veterans in immeasurable ways!
From all of us at NetWinGGs’ interim leadership, we say a Merry Christmas and a joyous 2023! 🙏
