Originally posted to Oregon State Association of Occupational Health Nurses (OSAOHN)
by Kate Wood
The brainchild of Meg Gustafson COHN-S and OSAOHN Board Member and Membership Chair. It is an offshoot of a program Meg developed over her ten years in Occupational Health. Covering 14 lumber mills over three states, Meg found that having educated team members at each location, consistent protocols and correct supplies assured effective first aid for most minor injuries.
“Once a nurse…” Meg’s younger sister, a distance runner, would often call “Big Sister” Meg for advice on blisters, rashes, sore muscles and painful joints. Meg filled a zip lock bag with basic supplies, detailed instructions on use and advice – what to expect and what to do for the unexpected – pretty much the same thing as her workplace “first aid playbook” program at the mills. Her sister was impressed. “Big Sister in a Bag” didn’t sound quite right. But “Nurse in a Bag” was born.
The venture has finally made a small profit for the first time. The sisters plan to give a portion of profits to a worthy non-profit. Oregon State Association of Occupational Health Nurses is pleased to be their first recipient and will use this donation to further networking and educational opportunities in occupational health for its members.
Since her retirement, Meg and her sisters are working on growing the Nurse in a Bag program. In July they did a 3-minute, shark tank-type pitch to SCORE – a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship. They hope an “angel investor” will show interest and give them the boost they need to get this worthy kit to many more people. OSAOHN thanks them for their donation and wishes them the best of luck!
Thank you for such a wonderful write up, Kate! Nurse in a Bag is honored to donate its first % of net profits to such a great organization full of wonderful nurses – networking and education is the best things for the donation to go for!
Meg Gustafson, Nurse in a Bag