Volunteer to be part of Ebola Crisis response team

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

From the American Nurse Today:

ANA partners with group to address Ebola outbreak

...ANA is partnering with the International Medical Corps to recruit qualified health practitioners — physicians and nurses — to serve as volunteers in West Africa as a part of the Ebola crisis response. International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through medical relief, health care training and development programs that build self-reliance. And as a first responder, it provides emergency relief to those impacted by war, natural disaster and disease.

To volunteer, RNs must meet certain qualifications, including:

• The stamina to work with limited resources in austere environments relating to primary health care, infectious and communicable diseases.

• Excellent communication and training skills.

• Previous non-governmental organizational (NGO) experience is desirable, although it is not necessary.

• Availability on short notice.

• The ability to make a six- to eight-week commitment with the possibility of extending beyond that time frame.

International Medical Corps is currently establishing additional isolation centers for patients suspected of having contracted Ebola. Nurses will be involved in the direct care of patients with Ebola, utilizing supportive and palliative therapies, and providing preventive health education.

Health care workers who may be exposed to people with Ebola are required to wear protective clothing, including masks, gloves, gowns and eye protection, and to practice proper infection control and sterilization measures. The International Medical Corps provides full pre-deployment training and all personal protective equipment. International flights, food, accommodations and stipends are also provided.

Nurses who want to help in other ways can make financial contributions to the International Medical Corps at https://internationalmedicalcorps.org or to the International Council of Nurses’ Florence Nightingale International Foundation at www.fnif.org ...