NGNA news

In September 1996, the Board of Directors of the National Gerontological Nursing Association NGNA) was invited to dine with Mary Opal Wolanin at her home the in the Air Force Village II Retirement Center near San Antonio, Texas. The evening was filled with excitement and with lively exchanges. Our hostess challenged the Board members as only a true leader can. The events of the evening were taped and are being published in two parts. In part 1 published in the September/October 1997 issue), Mary Opal Wolanin told NGNA about how she started in nursing and some of her early experiences in the profession. This article, the second about the evening with Mary Opal Wolanin, contains further excerpts of our conversation and some of my thoughts about that experience. She discusses many of her observations about nursing and nurses, as well as her “Law of Long-Term Consequences.” She asks important questions of today's nurses and challenges today's nursing leaders.