(A48) The Role of Nurse Leader and Humanitarian: Disaster Planning, Management, and Evaluation

Abstract

In the blink of an eye, a disaster caused by either natural or man-made hazard can change the sociocultural, psychological, physiological, and geopolitical integrity of all those that are directly and indirectly impacted. Disasters occur in every part of the world and are nondiscriminatory. Nurses, as the largest group of healthcare providers worldwide, are and should be at the center of disaster planning, management, and evaluation. Nurses are there when prevention is needed, during the crisis, and when the cameras and media are gone and the real work of recovery begins. Nurses remain there when the evaluation of the response, in its broadest sense, occurs and when recommendations must be made for applicable modification prior to the next disaster, as nurses are aware there will be more on the way somewhere in the world. As the second largest nursing organization in the world, the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), has committed to being a leader in improving the health of the world's citizens. This leadership extends to being at the forefront of disaster planning, management, and evaluation. Through its member's use of knowledge, research, scholarship, service, and learning, STTI has created an environment in which they will impact the shaping of how nurses plan for, respond to, and evaluate disasters globally. This presentation will highlight the expertise that STTI has in the area of disaster planning, management, and evaluation, as well as the work that leaders are conducting to make an impact on the world during times of such crises. Discussion also will center on how STTI is continuing to provide leadership, education, service, and research opportunities in the area of disaster planning, management, and evaluation that can be applied throughout the world.