Climate change ups need for nurse preparedness

“[I]t is challenging to keep a profession prepared and available for disasters that are increasing in frequency and intensity,” in the view of Elizabeth Schenk, PhD, RN, and AONL member Carol Bensen, MSN, RN. In the latest issue of Nursing Economic$, the two nurse leaders from Providence St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, Mont., shared their view that climate change has upped the need for nurses who are prepared to respond to disasters. They said optimal preparation requires nurses drill in realistic environments such as those provided by the FEMA Center for Domestic Preparedness in Aniston, Ala. They also urged self-care, so nurses are prepared to weather the stresses often present when serving during disasters. In the same publication, a separate editorial by AONL member Karlene Kerfoot, PhD, RN, chief nursing officer, workforce management solutions at API Healthcare in Hartford, Wis., recounts heroic examples of nursing responding to past disasters.