Philippine Nurses Association of North Carolina

by: Jesse Stephen Pasion

There are four needs in life according to Covey (2003), the need to love, to learn, to live and to leave a legacy. The burgeoning need for man to discover these needs delineates our behavior and defines our personal mission. I anticipated the recent CMM trip to Dumaguete to be meaningful; what I was not prepared was the profound inner transformation of my worldview. The recent CMM trip enlivened a plethora of humanistic and altruistic values far beyond basal experiences in my professional life. In the company of unselfish Filipino and American nurses, physicians and volunteers, I realize that the steps towards a road to timeless service is sometimes paved by the legacy of great men, living legends of the Carolina Medical Mission (CMM).

There is a natural homogeneity between the goals of CMM and our organization. As Filipino-American nursing professionals, we are held in a perpetual pedestal, built on patient’s trust, to advocate the delivery of the highest quality of nursing care. The rigors of our profession have the power to divert our attention away from other social and spiritual needs of our native countryman. Each of us have the innate and mature responsibility to give back to our home land, which has areas and populations still ravaged by a dearth of medical, surgical, dental and nursing services. My commitment and sacrifices to join this year’s CMM was compensated a thousand-fold by what I received in return-an invigorated spirit and a healthier soul. I agree with the common perception that medical missions such as the CMM cannot change the state of health care of the Philippines; however, every person touched by the free services we deliver is one person less than the staggering number of indigents that need immediate attention.

Fellow nurses, it is time for us to forge a closer relationship with the Carolina Medical Mission. The success of the PNANC should not only be measured through the actualization of our organizational mission but should also extend to our collective response to social issues of our times. The time for us to plant the seed of our legacy has come. This will serve as a social paradigm that can be emulated by future PNANC generations. I am emboldened by the words of Elbert Hubbard that states “He who influences the thought of his times influences the times that follow.” CMM has paved the road for PNANC to achieve-our personal nirvana.