Western Massachusetts Black Nurses Association (WMBNA), founded in 1994, will celebrate their 30th Anniversary on May 4th, 2024, with the theme entitled, “Celebrating 30 years of Nursing Leadership”. The keynote address will be given by Dr. Linda Thompson, DrPH, MPH, RN, FAAN. Dr. Thompson is Westfield State University’s 21st president. The Master of Ceremonies for the event will be Wesley Days, Jr., Multimedia Journalist.
WMBNA is a non-profit organization and chapter of the National Black Nurses Association. The organization has forged two pathways to foster nursing leadership over the last 30 years by (1) addressing health needs of the Black community and (2) recruiting, counseling, and assisting Black persons interested in nursing to ensure the constant progression of Blacks into the field and providing an ongoing stream of educational workshops for Black nurses throughout the region.
To address the health needs of the Black community, WMBNA has provided multiple educational programs to various age groups and the community as a whole through conferences on Black women’s cardiovascular health, violence as a public health concern, AIDS health concerns and Depression within the Black community. During the pandemic, presentations via Zoom related to Covid prevention and care activities to varying Black groups were provided and a breast cancer “teach in” was recorded to be used throughout communities of color in Western Massachusetts for Breast Cancer Awareness month. WMBNA members have offered nutritional workshops in collaboration with other Black professional groups to children ages five to thirteen. The association has also provided health screenings throughout the years at many community events.
Many educational opportunities and health activities have been offered over the past 30 years to nursing students and nurse professionals to address our second pathway of nursing leadership. Nursing scholarships have been provided to eligible Black nursing students attending local accredited nursing schools. WMBNA members serve as mentors to Black nursing students throughout Western Massachusetts. The chapter has trained members who are able to offer Stop the Bleed (STB) training to interested community adults and organizations.
For the past 10 years, WMBNA has been a collaborative partner with the New England Minority Nursing Leadership group, composed of eight New England Chapters of the National Black Nurses Association, to enhance leadership skills of minority nurses and also has been a part of the Western Massachusetts Nursing Collaborative to ensure diversity in nursing.
● Please Join the Western Massachusetts Black Nurses Association in celebrating their 30th Anniversary
● Theme: “Celebrating Thirty Years of Nursing Leadership”
● Location: Penthouse 650, Suite C, 1500 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01115
● When: Saturday, May 4th, 2024, 11am-3pm
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