One Nurse at a Time
One Nurse at a Time (ONAAT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Seattle, Washington. It was created in 2007 by two local nurses, Sue Averill7 and Staci Kelley. The mission of One Nurse At A Time is to encourage and support nurses and nurse practitioners in volunteer/humanitarian work. ONAAT is a private, volunteer staffed, nonsectarian, nonpolitical organization.4 One Nurse At A Time supports nurse volunteer endeavors by providing an up-to-date directory of organizations using nurses on medical missions in the USA and internationally, and scholarships to nurses who volunteer abroad to help defer trip costs, networking between nurses and the general public. Public education AbOUT the depth and breadth of humanitarian nursing is a major focus of the organization’s work. ONAAT nurses speak at public forums, maintain an active presence on internet social networks, and write articles and stories.
Both founders serve as unpaid officers for the organization: Sue Averill as President and Treasurer; and Staci Kelley as Vice President and Secretary. Both Averill and Kelley are emergency room nurses in the Seattle area and have volunteered part time locally and abroad with organizations such as Doctors Without Borders,3 Public Health Reserve Corps and others. Averill was nominated for Nurse of the Year 2010 in Community Service by NurseWeek Magazine and March of Dimes. In 2010 ONAAT added Nancy Leigh Harless, BSN, WCHNP as Communications Director to increase public awareness of ONAAT through the media.