found shelter in a tree because his house got swept away. Many were
as hypertension and diabetes. There are fresh wounds and infected
injuries from nails and other typhoon and construction-related acci- crying by the end of the session.
Despite their circumstances, the nurses report that the typhoon
dents, so dressings and vaccinations are in order. Many children are
victims are grateful, patient, and never complain.
feverish, dehydrated, malnourished. The nurses have definitely
Departing nurses emphasized that the Philippine people need our
saved lives, from helping a man complaining of abdominal pain to
ongoing help. "This is my first official disaster relief experience and it
find a mass in his abdomen, to intervening in the case of a lethargic
exceeded my expectations," said Gandessa Orteza, a Washington, D.C.
baby whose heart rate was 60.
RN. "I felt taken care of, I felt safe, and I really got to do what RNRN
Also critical for the patients' health is confronting and coping
told me I'd get to do. And that was great. We defiwith the post-traumatic stress brought on by the
nitely need more donations, because there are so
super typhoon. Stella Auto, a Veterans Affairs RN
many people we still need to see, who need
from Chicago who normally works with Iraqi war
To make your tax-deductible
healthcare, whether they were victims of the
vets, conducted a trauma debriefing session for
donation, please visit
typhoon or not. We still need to send more nurses
groups of children by telling them to draw where
www.sendanurse.org
out here, so please donate."
they hid during the super typhoon. One boy
DECEMBER 2013
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
N AT I O N A L N U R S E
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