I am interestered in hearing stories of nurses who assisted in disaster relief

PetsToPeople · May 18, 2012

Hero's, the lot of ya, I tip my hat :bowingpur

anotherone, BSN, RN · May 18, 2012

I hope Nurses are prepared for disasters as much as possible with all the available resources, manpower, space, and algorithims they need, however it is my desperate prayer that none of you reading this post EVER have to experience a Regional/Local Catastrophie/Crisis/Disaster. I still feel just as damaged as the next week sometimes, but I try to remind myself, all I can do is prepare for the "Next" one, using what I have learned from the "Last" one.
I am so sorry that this post is so breathy, but this subject is embedded in my being.
:redbeatheBoston

Boston, I am giving you my first ever cyber hug, ever, and they are not common outside of cyber space either. ....... The whole Katrina fiasco was shameful and disgusting. Nothing you would have done differently would have likely had a different outcome. not that this helps but you did more than most people would................How dare people even try to apply the same standards on what a prudent nurse would do in Utopia General compared to a freaking field.............. . It really is a slap in the face to be expected to just , " deal with it ", " get over it" esp comming from those in headquarters or watching from their living room..................

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · May 18, 2012

2. No Intervention was done following the incident to Psychologically Debrief the staff, and help them cope. We saw amazing things, and horrible things all in the stretch of a week.
:redbeatheBoston

First let me tell you, Boston, I can relate very well with the challenges you endured after Katrina. I can tell this disaster affected you severely, and I wholeheartedly agree that every volunteer/medical staff SHOULD have had some sort of debriefing when we returned home. It took me months to get back to myself again, because I was too consumed with a weird sort of guilt. I mused to myself, "why am I worrying over what type of countertops I want in my new house when others lost everything?". I became withdrawn, didn't want to hang out with my friends, didn't care about my appearance (I religiously wear makeup and keep my clothes pressed-but after returning from Katrina, I thought it frivolous to care so much about how I looked.) Our SMAT team now has a Critical Incident Stress Management team in place that counsels medical staff after a particularly horrid disaster or an emotionally charged search and rescue.

I am glad to hear you are doing well now. Katrina taught us some harsh lessons, and we will be better prepared for the next disaster.

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · May 18, 2012

One more thing that I forgot to comment on regarding Boston's post: it was terribly maddening to deploy all of our assets, staff, resources and volunteers in record time only to sit at the border to wait for the go-ahead from the government. We waited for THREE DAYS for the state of Louisiana to get their stuff together (they were concerned with validating the licensure of each member of the medical staff-all of the nurses, docs, CRNAs, etc. There were literally hundreds of us), and that's when we decided to set up our shelters in Mississippi, where the governor basically said, "C'mon! We welcome you!"

dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN · May 18, 2012

When Hurricane Katrina passed, and all the mold dried up and died, and all the trees were pulled away from the highways- I knew everything in my life up until that moment of my county's Disaster Director saying over the Bearcat Scanner- 23 minutes before total white noise-
"MEMA Station # (Blah Blah Blah), We are crippled here, we have catastrophic loss to the fundamental structures of our facility, we have 3 Major Injuries to vital staff members, and it's no longer viable to maint, . . . .Folks, to cut the crap, it's real bad here. We have to leave base to find more sustainable shelter. The water seems to be rising at an alarming rate. It's already went from knee to belt talking to you guys. We will regain communication when possible. Winds were clocking 130mph gusts before we lost our Makkar 23, and we are not even in the worst of it yet. We lost contact with State Officials in Meridian, MS over on hour ago (just 45 minutes after landfall, city over 150 miles inland). Our best advice is Field Triage when possible, NO GOING OUT FOR RESCUE, and we have suspended answering any 911 calls, use the Shortwave for ALL vital communications, We're out!"

Oh, god. I can't even imagine. I don't want to.

BostonTerrierLover, BSN, RN · May 19, 2012

Yes, it was a mess on SOOOooooooo many levels. I know we had it TONS better in MS vs. LA. That's why you barely hear about the Mississippi Side of the Katrina Disaster, and most is focused on Louisiana. I know it's DEPLORABLE to admit, but I kept my sanity together by saying to myself, . . .At least we're not "down there." (New Orleans)

In MS, the water receded, and the Government effort, both State and Federal, went MUCH more smoothly. It was still VERY SLOW, and it was still a catastrophe! But, New Orleans was nearly drowned. There were disasters caused by the main disaster. It was a living Nightmare for one solid month. Three weeks later when the electricity popped on, I cried. Four weeks later, water started pumping through our faucets again. I took a ONE HOUR cool shower sitting on the floor.

Thanks for all your insights and supportive comments. It was something to see the Elders of the area, some in their 80s and 90s say, "I have never seen any weather close to that in my life!" I think every one south of the Tennessee line still has nightmares about Hurricane Katrina, who totally busted the myth about, "Hurricanes can't affect us here."

Recently I drove from Holley Beach, LA to the Mississippi Gulf Coast (before the oil spill), and it's for the most part still decimated nearly a decade after Katrina and Rita. Many bridges are still out requiring Ferries to take you across the Canals and Bayous. The American Gulf Coast has taken one huge whooping after whooping, and the place has survived. These people are just built of something strong, or maybe human resolve is just stronger than I gave it credit for.

I would recommend Disaster Training and Continuing Education for EVERY Healthcare Provider. Knowing just a few basic algorithems can let you go on automatic and do it "by the book" and not have to suffer through sooooo much gray areas!

To all that came down here and volunteered their time, efforts, and put their health, mental health, and sacraficed to get us "back on our feet," Thank You From the Bottom of My Heart! We will never forget being pulled out of something we couldn't get out of ourselves. You would just have to be here in 2005 to understand otherwise. I know what "hopelessness" really feels like when it consumes you, and it's "Ending." You gave us a new start.

:redbeatheBoston

BostonTerrierLover, BSN, RN · May 19, 2012

P.S. This is when I adopted my Boston Terrier. It was my MD that recommended getting a dog. It was EXACTLY what I needed. That I guess is why we're such great buds! He's my therapy dog, Lol!