This month, I'd like to take a bit of a departure from my normal format and cover a topic that is forefront in the minds of
many healthcare givers: Haiti.
David Morrison
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Like most nurses, I feel I am truly a caregiver. I derive great satisfaction in providing care to those in need. With the
national news constantly reporting the need for healthcare workers in Haiti, many of us are left wondering what we can do.
In addition to this column, I also write a weekly blog on TravelNursing http://Blogs.com/. A few weeks back, I started posting information regarding Haiti and the possibility of deploying nurses from the United
States. Since then, I've received dozens of requests for information. Following are a few of the things I know so far.
While a great need for healthcare workers in Haiti certainly still exists, few nurses are being sent from the United States,
in large part because of Haiti's continued lack of infrastructure. We are still seeing issues with getting supplies and personnel
to where they are needed. Sure, we could fly in planes carrying 250 nurses each, but once they arrived, would they be placed
in the appropriate places to use their skills? Next are the issues of coordinating the transportation and the cost of funding those efforts. A few nurse associations have
been in close contact with the federal government, and one is helping to staff a naval vessel currently anchored off the coast
of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. While the show of support from the nursing community has been great (one organization
reports more than 8,000 nurses awaiting deployment), once again, we are still in the early stages of being able to use those
resources properly.
Another consideration is selecting the nurses who understand the conditions—ideally, those who may have worked in similar
situations. Sure, we would all love to help, but can you honestly say that you have ever worked in a disaster zone? Most healthcare
workers currently in Haiti packed their own food, water, and supplies like mosquito nets or N95 respirator masks. Running
water can be scarce, and the only place for you to sleep at night might be the ground on which you stand. I wouldn't discourage
anyone from helping, but for those actually considering traveling to Haiti, you must know what the conditions are like before accepting such a task.
If you do have disaster relief experience (like a few of the travelers I know who helped with the devastation of Hurricane
Katrina), and would like to explore the option of traveling to Haiti, there are a couple of things you will need to do in
preparation.
First, you will need a passport. While there has been talk of waiving this for healthcare workers traveling to Haiti, it is
not yet in place and may never be. Second, check with your doctor to make sure all of your immunizations are up to date. In
addition to being up to date with MMR, tuberculosis, and tetanus vaccinations, you will want to have vaccinations for hepatitis
A and B, seasonal flu with H1N1, typhoid, and possibly pre-exposure rabies. While there is no vaccination for malaria, you
will most certainly want to look into taking an anti-malarial medication with you.
If you are unable to travel to Haiti, but still want to help, there are many ways to accomplish that here in the States. As
mentioned before, some agencies are sending nurses, but until federally funded, this costs money. Why not get your unit or
hospital to sponsor a nurse's travel to Haiti? You could also organize a donation drive, with the proceeds going to the American
Red Cross.
The crisis in Haiti is far from over, and the rebuild will continue for months to years. During that time, we might even see
travel opportunities in Haiti. If this is something you would consider, research the current conditions in the country carefully.
You can always e-mail me at
david@travelnursesbible.com
or read my blog at http://TravelNursingBlogs.com/ for more information as it becomes available.
David Morrison, RN, is a Phoenix-based travel nurse and the author of the book The Travel Nurse's Bible: A Guide to Everything on Travel Nursing (ISBN: 978-0-578-00814-1, http://travelnursesbible.com/). He has completed more than 30 separate travel contracts, holds nursing licenses in six states, and travels anywhere from
six to 12 months every year. He is a graduate of Mount Carmel School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio. He can be reached at david@travelnursesbible.com
.
ModernMedicine NETWORK
TOOLS
Nursing documentation can be a challenge when starting a new travel assignment. David Morrison, RN, offer tips at healthcare
http://traveler.com/documentation/ on navigating different documentation systems at different facilities.
COMMUNITY
One group of professionals was recognized universally for its impressive response to Hurricane Katrina: the countless healthcare
volunteers who immediately headed to the devastated area. Go to http://healthcaretraveler.com/disaster to read about mobile professionals' efforts following the hurricane's landfall.
Take the company provided housing or take a housing stipend? Jeff Long describes how to find your next housing on 
