Read this before you volunteer at a disaster
When disaster strikes, you may be tempted to make a beeline for the site to offer help — but there are some things you must consider first. "You can be of great help during a disaster," says Ann Stangby, RN, CEN, emergency response planner for San Francisco General Hospital. "However, this needs to be planned for in advance."
Here are ways to increase your effectiveness as a volunteer:
• Go prepared. Stangby advises bringing the following items:
- your license;
- your credentials and competencies;
- your certification cards;
- your own "work tools," such as stethoscope, ophthalmoscope, and trauma shears;
- uniform or scrubs to wear;
- enough food and medication to last 72 hours.
"Do not bring valuables with you, as storage may be an issue," says Stangby. "Be prepared to prove who you are and what you can do."
• Offer help where it is most needed. Don’t be surprised or disappointed if you do not work in the trenches, notes Stangby. "You will need to support the care of all patients, not just those who were injured in the disaster," she says. Be ready to perform tasks that are below your scope of practice, says Stangby. "Remember that all roles in a disaster are critical," she stresses. "Hospitals will want to use their own staff in critical areas. You may be an experienced nurse who assists in giving discharge instructions or answering phones."
Two of the less obvious areas that nurses are needed are temporary shelters and refreshment areas, says Betty Karas Bartolini, RN, emergency preparedness coordinator at Waterbury (CT) Hospital. "People may be dehydrated and overtired, and a nurse may insist they rest," she says. "You may also cater to the walking wounded or offer emotional support to friends and family of victims."
• Consider long-term needs. You may be needed to relieve hospital staff after several days, Stangby notes. "After the San Francisco earthquake in 1989, our ED had with an average health care-worker-to-patient ratio of 3-to-1," she reports. But as the night wore on and into the next day, some staff could not return, says Stangby. "So many of us who had come to the hospital at the time ended up staying for two to three days straight in order to cover the shifts," she recalls.
Sources
For more information on volunteering during a disaster, contact:
• Ann Stangby, RN, CEN, San Francisco General Hospital, 1001 Potrero Ave., San Francisco, CA 94110. Telephone: (415) 206-3397. Fax: (415) 206-4411. E-mail: [email protected].
• Betty Karas Bartolini, RN, Department of Surgery, Waterbury Hospital, 64 Robbins St., Waterbury, CT 06721. Telephone: (203) 573-7577. Fax: (203) 573-6073. E-mail: [email protected].
You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content