From the desk of the President

Suja Thomas, AGPCNP-BC, MSN. Ed., RN, CWCN, CCCN, COCN

Email: president@nainausa.org

Dear Fellow Nursing Professionals,
 
I would like to wish all nurses a very happy and wonderful Nurses Month!
 
We commemorate the extraordinary work of nurses across the world and celebrate their invaluable contributions to the health care industry. Nursing is a profession that requires not only technical knowledge and skill, but also compassion, empathy, and a willingness to serve! Nearly 3 years ago, the pandemic hit us. Our nurses were at the forefront fighting this pandemic! While the pandemic has had lasting impacts, it molded us to be more efficient and resilient. Your dedication, resilience, and unwavering commitment to the health and wellbeing of your patients is a testament to the incredible strength and resilience of the nursing profession.
 
We must also work toward improving the diversity and inclusivity of the nursing profession, ensuring that nurses from all backgrounds have equal opportunities to contribute to the health care industry. Today, we have a more prominent voice in public health. We are a greater authority in nursing practice. We are heralded as heroes because we always rise to the occasion. It is hard to find words to express my gratitude and appreciation to all our nurses who work in various capacities. Today, we acknowledge and celebrate the impact that nurses have made in their respective fields. This year’s theme for nurses’ day is “We make a difference”. Nurses Day is a special day to honor and celebrate the contributions of nurses all over the world. This year, we recognized our nurses with a special “Make a Difference Award” for their hard work and dedication for making a difference in the lives of patients, families and communities.
 
Life is a precious gift, and it is important to cherish every moment. Appreciate the beauty around us and express gratitude for the blessings in our lives. Love yourself unconditionally. Know your worth and have confidence in who you are! Failures are opportunities for growth and learning. Never be discouraged by setbacks! Step out of your comfort zone. Pursue your dreams and embrace new experiences!
 
One of life’s greatest treasures is the quality time we spend with our loved ones. Make sure to create lasting memories with your family and friends! Show appreciation, forgiveness, and love to those who mean the most to you! For they bring joy and meaning to your life! We also need to give back to our greater communities and societies. NAINA and your chapter level activities are the platform for you to prove what you can do for others. Nurture life-long commitment to self-reflection and evaluation.
 
I take this opportunity to thank each and everyone who joined our Virtual Nurses Month Celebration on May 6th, 2023. It was well attended. Congratulations to all those who won the NAINA’s Make a Difference Award!!
 
In closing, let us continue to stand together, support each other and work towards a brighter future for the nursing profession. Together, we can make a difference, continuing to excel and lead while providing high quality care to patients and families around the world.
 
I want to thank you all for your selfless service, from the delivery of high-quality patient care to advancing the nursing profession, you deserve to be celebrated for the difference you make every day! May God bless you all!
 
Thank you and have a happy nurses’ month!
 
Sincerely,
 
Suja Thomas
President

ACHIEVEMENTS:

  • NAINA joined American Nurses Association as an Organizational Affiliate in January, 2023.
  • Suja Thomas and Deepthy Varghese represented NAINA in the ANA Membership Assembly in Washington DC in June 2023. 
  • Advocacy & Policy Committee established in 2023
Dear Friends,
 
I would like to wish you all a very happy, healthy and blessed New Year filled with love and peace!
 
Thank you for electing me as the 9th NAINA President. It is an honor and privilege to lead such a prestigious organization.
 
When you have a dream, you need to chase it. A new year brings us new opportunities and challenges. As we begin the new term in this New Year, I am very confident that, as a team, we will rise to the top as exceptional leaders and do great things as an organization. We can bring up emerging leaders among our young nurses through guidance, scholarship, mentorship, and role-modeling. My motto is ‘talk less, listen more.’ Life is an opportunity to learn something exciting and innovative, hence it is of utmost importance to be open minded. One’s mindset and emotional intelligence plays into their capacity to guide others successfully.
 
Keeping up with our mission and vision, we will take NAINA to greater heights through expansion of our technology and social media presence. Many times, conflict arises due to differences in opinion, but the way in which it is handled holds potential for further complications. The success of NAINA is largely driven by how we can make these differences in opinion align to achieve the goals of NAINA as a unified professional organization. The highest form of knowledge is empathy which requires for us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world.
 
NAINA’s success derives from the dedication and commitment of its members – not to mention the countless hours of selfless service and hard work. I applaud our NAINA leaders who worked tirelessly for NAINA’s growth since 2006. We promise that we will bring NAINA as one of the best ethnic minority organizations in the US. I believe that, with God on our side, all things are possible.
 
We will be planning all our events for this new term and will keep you informed along the way. I strongly encourage you to visit our website periodically for updates.
 
We look forward to your love, support and encouragement as we begin our new term. Using creativity and innovation, we will use our voices confidently to offer value to our profession and organization. There are no limits to what we can accomplish as a team. Even when facing adversity, we must strive to overcome and achieve greatness.
 
In the meantime, enjoy the holiday season. May God shower his abundant blessings on you and your family during this new year and always!
 
Sincerely,
Suja Thomas
President
Thank You

Suja Thomas
AGPCNP-BC, MSN. Ed., RN, CWCN, CCCN, COCN
President

Suja Thomas is currently working as Nurse Administrator at Samuel Stratton VA Medical Center and as Patient Care Administrator at St. Peter’s Hospital, Albany, New York. She is also a Board-Certified Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner and a CWOCN consultant in Acute Care Hospital.  She brings over 24 plus years of leadership experience in hospital administration & education and more than 30 years of practice as a registered professional nurse. She worked as a Nurse Executive at St. Peter’s Health Partners, responsible for various clinical and nonclinical departments.  She taught undergraduate nursing students for eight years at Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE University), Manipal, Karnataka, India. She is currently working as Adjunct Faculty at Manipal College of Nursing, MAHE, Manipal. Additionally, she has worked as an Adjunct Faculty at Maria College, Albany, NY.

She is founding President of Indian American Nurses Association of Albany (IANA-A) and current advisory board member.  On the national level, she served in the National Association of Indian Nurses of America (NAINA) in various capacities for the past 13 years.

She is currently on the Board of Governors with CGFNS Alliance for Ethical International recruitment Practices (A division of CGFNS International, Inc.).

Suja has been a member of the Sigma Theta Tau Delta Pi chapter since 2020.  In 2016, she was honored with the Robert Scholar Award for Clinical Excellence. She received the Transformational Leadership Award in 2014 for a research study conducted with the goal of reducing rates of back injury for health care workers through minimal lift program.  She received Quantum Leadership Award in 2021 and Clinical Excellence Award – Nursing Administrator in 2022 from NAINA.

Suja graduated from Father Muller College of Nursing (Kankanady, Mangalore), with Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and from Russell Sage College (Troy, NY), receiving her master’s in nursing education. She graduated as Certified Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurse from Minnesota Metropolitan University through WEB WOC Nursing Education Program.  She completed post-master’s in nursing in Adult Health- Gerontology – Primary Care Nurse Practitioner program at Russell Sage College, Troy, NY.

Volunteering is her passion. She takes such responsibilities with utmost priority within any type of work and strives for the best quality and efficiency. As a community volunteer, she consistently goes above and beyond to reach out to whomever is in need and is willing to take on challenging roles with determination and confidence.