How long have you been enrolled in the SMC Emeritus program?
Since 2018
What was your occupation prior to retirement?
Faculty at UCLA and USC. I served as Chief Nurse Research and Education at the Greater Los Angeles VA. I am a nurse and a psychotherapist.
What was your highest level of education?
Earned College Bachelor Degree or higher.
What are the reasons you value the SMC Emeritus Program?
SMC Emeritus offers an opportunity to continue learning within a supportive community where we share, build, and exchange knowledge. I appreciate the opportunity to pursue old and new hobbies from current events, piano, yoga, singing in lyric and Voice and contributing to the larger community. The lyric chorus performs in nearby senior residents, the Santa Monica Library and I was able to facilitate our singing at the GLA VA senior Veterans. My passion is health so I value the chance to publish a column on mental health in the Voice and to write for Emeritus publications including Chronicles and The Ongoing Moment. I enjoy the chance to expand my piano skills, singing, and to learn new areas such as yoga. I often consult with other Emeritus seniors about their health care issues or family care.
Pearls of Wisdom: What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?
I would encourage staying honest and ethical despite many opposing pressures. Relish and enjoy what you are doing now - don't rush. Offer to mentor others and help others succeed. Respect and value the environment and provide the most respectful and best care to everyone. Travel, learn another language and culture as it enhances you. I'd say "Don't sweat the small stuff and treasure relationships."
How would your advice to your 50-year-old self differ?
Enjoy your passions: music, singing, travel, reading, writing, learning, and mentoring. Treasure friends and family. Make a difference in the lives of others. Fight for women's, immigrant's and children's rights. Speak up and right a wrong. Learn from mistakes. Serve the community and organizations like Chi Eta Phi, Int. Catalog the library.
What are some of your biggest accomplishments in life?
My research, publications and clinical work in healthcare led research: children's suicide, nurse's attitudes to suicide, and end-of-life issues. I co-authored books on Suicide Prevention and on Human Sexuality and many peer-reviewed publications. I led a People-to-People Delegation to meet with suicidology colleagues in Russia. When UCLA School of Nursing was faced with closure, I led the alumni delegation that administration to support the School's doctoral program and ensure its survival amid daunting budget cuts. I received prestigious awards: the Shneidman young scholar award, ANA Peplau Award for Psychiatric Nursing, and many other teaching and mentoring awards. Nursing SPectrum 2006 Excellence Award for leading and guiding the profession. UCLA School of Nursing Distinguished Alumni and other national awards. At GLA VA, Our award-winning innovative programs included teaching nursing staff to conduct research, evidence-based, and quality improvement projects. I designed fact sheets to help staff nurses apply research and clinical guidelines to bedside care. Without these, nurses found the research reports too cumbersome to translate into practice. In We facilitated and funded nurses' return to earn higher degrees and we trained interns. I helped a colleague write a training grant for a GLA VA program for Gerontological Nurse Practitioner Residents and I currently co-teach the research/QI segment of this program. I currently volunteer as a Red Cross volunteer in installing and checking smoke detectors in communities and in disasters.
I wrote grant funded programs for GLA VA including Daisy Awards, Translating Care at the Bedside. I nominated many deserving nurses for GLA and national awards.
The SMC Emeritus Program has helped me as a lifelong learner because It provides an energetic like-minded group of learners who share and build knowledge. Often colleagues seek my expertise in their health care or family care. I see role inspiring models like Marlena Flower, Perri Chasen, Phylis Moberly, Marcello, and Victoria who overcome immense barriers to join class and sing or write. One major factor when I joined Emeritus and was devastated I could not sing even a middle C and our faculty, Linda Jackson encouraged me. She said "If you practice you will get your high notes back." She was right, I have now high C and almost up to high Eb. Faculty like Tom Gerhold and Matthew Hetz.
The best part about being an SMC Emeritus student is Enjoying the camaraderie, fellowship and inspiration of Emeritus colleagues and the impetus to grow and improve. Especially when all goes wrong and I can't muddle through Dvorak's Song to the Moon in Czech, my Emeritus colleagues are supportive, encouraging, and applaud the effort.