Disaster Relief Nursing & Emergency Preparedness
What you can do to help
We have all seen the pictures of the devastation in Texas, Florida, and surrounding areas due to recent hurricanes. As nurses, by nature, we always want to help those in need.
If you want to volunteer:
- Please coordinate your efforts through a disaster relief agency, such as the Red Cross, or local volunteer organizations, such as the Texas Disaster Volunteer Registry or Volunteer Florida. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has recommended those interested in volunteering to visit the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster website for a list of trusted disaster-relief organizations.
- Texas has implemented a Disaster Licensing Procedure.
- The Board of Nursing is following the RN Compact and expedited licensure procedure for licensure. You will need to go to the site and download the appropriate documents and make sure you write “Harvey” and the name of the facility or the volunteer agency at the top of the application.
- Advanced Practice Nurses will need to follow the physician supervision requirement for APRN practice.
- In Florida, Governor Scott declared a state of emergency, with an Executive Order granting authority for health service and treatment in Florida by any person who holds a valid and unrestricted and unencumbered license in another state, territory and/or district. You can send an email to the Florida Department of Health at [email protected] or call (850) 245-4829.
If you are interested in donating to support relief efforts; make sure you are donating to a reputable organization such as:
Lippincott NursingCenter has prepared a collection of resources to help guide your practice while you are working in the affected areas. We will be making these resources free for the next 3 months.
We ask all of you to keep the people affected by recent hurricanes in your thoughts.
Best regards,
Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN
Chief Nurse, Wolters Kluwer
Lisa Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP
Senior Clinical Editor, Lippincott NursingCenter
Kim Fryling-Resare
Managing Editor, Lippincott NursingCenter
Bob Maroldo
Publisher, Lippincott NursingCenter
Myrna Buiser Schnur, MSN, RN
Clinical Editor, Lippincott NursingCenter
Megan Doble, MSN, RN, CRNP, FNP-BC, AGACNP-BC
Clinical Editor, Lippincott NursingCenter
Free Nursing Considerations for Post-Hurricane Hazards
AJN Off the Charts, September 2017
Free Disaster management: Communication up, across, and down
Nursing Management, July 2017
Free Overburdened Systems and Dealing With Disaster: Nursing Administrators' Experiences and Nursing Leadership Recommendations From a State-Level Perspective
Nursing Administration Quarterly, April/June 2017
Free The Emotional Well-Being of Nurses and Nurse Leaders in Crisis
Nursing Administration Quarterly, April/June 2017
Free Climate Change and Mental Health
AJN, American Journal of Nursing, April 2017
Free Natural Disasters: Planning for Psychological First Aid
Journal of Christian Nursing, January/March 2017
Free Increasing Emergency Preparedness
AJN, American Journal of Nursing, January 2016
Free Crisis Standards of Care: A Framework for Responding to Catastrophic Disasters
AJN, American Journal of Nursing, October 2012
NCPD Will you be ready when disaster strikes? (CE)
Nursing Management, August 2013
Free Disaster planning: Are you ready?
Nursing Made Incredibly Easy, May/June 2011
Free It's a disaster! How can I help?
Nursing2011 Critical Care, January 2011
Free Disaster Care: Delivering Primary Health Care to Hurricane Evacuees
AJN, American Journal of Nursing, August 2009
Free Effective Mental Health Response to Catastrophic Events: Lessons Learned From Hurricane Katrina
Family & Community Health, January/March 2008
Free Legal File: Nursing Responsibilities in a Disaster
The Nurse Practitioner, November 2006
Free Infection Control and Hurricane Katrina: What nurses can learn in the aftermath of the disaster
AJN, American Journal of Nursing, March 2006
