Continuing Promise_FNL with art 12/22/10 6:12 PM Page 10
Keeping the Promise
After the TV cameras have moved on, RNRN volunteers continue
the hard work of training for disaster relief. BY DONNA SMITH
H
orrendous hurricanes. Devastating earthquakes. Deadly tsunamis.
When communities around the
globe face major calamities, registered nurses never hesitate to volunteer their help and expertise. After the
massive January 2010 earthquake in
Haiti, more than 12,000 RNs
responded to the Registered Nurse
Relief Network's call for volunteers. Previous disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina and the Sri Lankan tsunami, elicited similar volunteer enthusiasm.
10
N AT I O N A L N U R S E
But sending RNs into a disaster zone is no easy task, particularly
in a developing country. Besides the problem of physically transporting nurses to places where they can help the most, organizations
must figure out how their volunteers will eat, sleep, access clean
drinking water, access sanitation, stay safe and healthy, get needed
supplies, and communicate with the local community. In addition to
these basics, nurses should ideally have previous experience and
practice in disaster relief nursing so that they can work as efficiently
and effectively as possible.
This summer and fall, some RNRN members enjoyed a unique
opportunity to gain that critical on-the-ground experience with the
U.S. Navy. Thanks largely to the excellent volunteer work of RNRN
W W W. N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G
DECEMBER 2010
