Conference Call More than 1800 RNs Join National Call to Prepare For Haiti Disaster Relief Mission

[laughingliberal]

<snip> NNU Executive Director Rose Ann DeMoro praised the volunteers for their rapid response. “We’ve never seen anything like this. We have a very heightened sense of urgency, with RNs across the country wanting to be deployed to Haiti. It’s heartwarming to know that kind of humanitarian concern is deeply embedded in RNs.”

At present, NNU notes, there are substantial logistic problems for the actual deployment, including the virtual collapse of healthcare infrastructure and facilities in Haiti, severe problems with transport, and many difficulties with a shattered governmental infrastructure on the embattled island.

To that end, DeMoro said, “we need to make sure you are able to go together, and work together as teams and that you are secure so that you take care of other people.” With much of the international focus today on search and rescue effort, NNU said it has found establishment of medical relief efforts to be slower. “What’s amazing to us is in every disaster the role of the RN is in the background until the relief workers are actually on the ground and then they’re saying where are the RNs?”

NNU said it will have a command operation in Miami and in addition to RNs already in Haiti, including members of the Haitian American Nurses Association who are working with NNU, will be flying RNs to Miami to prepare for deployment to Haiti.

The first team of nurses to go is expected to include NNU Co-president Deborah Burger, Haitian American RNs, and nurses who have worked in previous disaster relief programs following Hurricane Katrina and the South Asia tsunami organized by the NNU’s Registered Nurse Response Network. <snip>

http://www.calnurses.org/media-center/press-releases/2010/january/more-than-1800-rns-join-national-conference-call-to-prepare-for-haiti-disaster-relief-mission-4-500-signed-up-to-go.html

An update on the website notes that, as of this morning, there have now been more than 7000 nurses sign up to volunteer. At the start of the conference call yesterday morning the number was 1500. By last evening it was 4500. Nurses are the best!

[laughingliberal]

1. No love for nurses. :( nt