Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation™ - #healthynurse Spotlight Series - Latonia Ford, MBA, BSN, RN
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Latonia Ford, MBA, BSN, RN is currently a Captain in the United States Public Health Service. Her specialty is emergency medicine and she is presently stationed at the Food & Drug Administration in Silver Spring, Maryland.
We all say we want to be a nurse to help others, but I also wanted to be a nurse to set a positive example. I started my journey in health and fitness twenty-five years ago as I began my nursing career working in the ED.
I maintained an active lifestyle while my nutrition, sleep and self-care values wavered over the years. When I saw HNHN, it reminded me of that goal of setting an example. Instead of setting an example just for my patients, I started thinking about setting an example for my colleagues, family and friends. HNHN reminds me of the self-care values often nurses who work full-time forget about. I would like to use the HNHN platform to reach out to as many nurses in the United States Public Health Service, as well as people in the community, to educate and remind them about self-care; focusing on physical activity, nutrition and sleep.
Currently, I have a goal to run a half marathon in all 50 states and I have 18 more states to complete. You do not have to be a runner, but I encourage everyone I encounter to pick one activity and just do it. A mantra I say daily is “move something”. As a result of my passion for physical activity, I became a group fitness instructor in June 2018, taught myself how to swim in December 2018, and I started studying aqua fitness and body pump. I would like to bring others on this journey.
I also hold myself accountable to meal prep weekly and teach others. I am still working on sleep but the HNHN platform has helped me to recognize the need for more sleep. Do not be surprised if you see me on social media posting pictures or posts about physical activity or meal prep. It is just me striving to be a positive example for the community and holding myself accountable.
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#healthynurse Spotlight
01/29/2019 12:30pm CST
The #healthynurse Spotlight is a shout out to nurses who are making changes in their lives to improve their health and wellness. You can too! Read their stories for inspiration here.
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I see your post as a motivation for me to get back into taking better care of my body by doing simple stretches on my yoga mat every morning.