About

Jamla Rizek

DNP, MBA, MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, NHDP-BC, NRP, FAAN, FAEN

Fellow, Academy of Emergency Nursing

USPHS Commissioned Corps Officer

WADEM Board Member

About Jamla

Professional Background

Dr. Rizek previously served as an active-duty officer in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, where she held senior leadership and advisory roles focused on national readiness, workforce deployment, and interagency coordination. She deployed extensively in support of infectious disease response, disaster recovery, and humanitarian operations in both domestic and international settings.

In addition to her operational leadership, Dr. Rizek is an educator, editor, and scholar whose work advances disaster medicine, emergency nursing, and healthcare preparedness. She serves as the Disaster Nursing Section Editor for the Journal of Emergency Nursing, Deputy Editor for Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, and on the Board of Directors for the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM).

Her professional interests include crisis leadership, workforce resilience, pediatric disaster readiness, and the integration of clinical, operational, and policy frameworks to strengthen emergency response systems. She is also the founder of Adventures with Nurse Jamla, an education and consulting platform focused on disaster preparedness, leadership development, and emergency nursing education.

20+

Years of Experience

36k+

Students Enrolled

26+

Global Deployments

Academic and Editorial Leadership

Journal of Emergency Nursing

Disaster Nursing Section Editor

Leads the national disaster nursing section, curating and advancing evidence-based content that directly informs emergency nursing practice and disaster response.

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness

Deputy Editor

Supports editorial leadership and peer review for global research in disaster medicine and public health preparedness, ensuring rigor, relevance, and real-world application.

World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM)

Board Member

Contributes to global strategy and governance efforts to strengthen disaster medicine systems, policy development, and international collaboration.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC)

Faculty

Educates and mentors healthcare professionals at a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital, with a focus on disaster leadership, preparedness, and response.

Journal of Emergency Nursing

Disaster Nursing Section Editor

Leads the national disaster nursing section, curating and advancing evidence-based content that directly informs emergency nursing practice and disaster response.

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness

Deputy Editor

Supports editorial leadership and peer review for global research in disaster medicine and public health preparedness, ensuring rigor, relevance, and real-world application.

World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM)

Board Member

Contributes to global strategy and governance efforts to strengthen disaster medicine systems, policy development, and international collaboration.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC)

Faculty

Educates and mentors healthcare professionals at a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital, with a focus on disaster leadership, preparedness, and response.

Work With Me

I partner with healthcare organizations, academic institutions, and emergency response teams to strengthen disaster preparedness, clinical readiness, and leadership capacity.

Areas of focus include:

Disaster preparedness and response strategy
Emergency nursing and trauma systems
Public health emergency readiness
Simulation and training development
Speaking and expert consultation

If you’re looking to elevate your team’s readiness and response capability, let’s connect.

Who I Am

I am a disaster nurse, executive leader, and national voice in emergency and public health preparedness with over 20 years of frontline experience across emergency care, prehospital medicine, and disaster response.

My work spans clinical care, national deployments, academic leadership, and global collaboration, bridging the gap between bedside realities and system-level strategy.

I have deployed to large-scale public health emergencies, supported national response efforts, and worked in high-risk, resource-constrained environments where rapid decision-making and operational readiness directly impact outcomes.

Everything I do is grounded in one goal: helping healthcare systems and professionals perform at their best in high-stakes, high-pressure situations.

What I Do

I work at the intersection of disaster response, emergency nursing, and health system preparedness.

Through consulting, education, and speaking, I help organizations:

Strengthen disaster preparedness and response frameworks
Improve emergency and trauma care readiness
Build resilient healthcare systems
Enhance clinical decision-making under pressure
Translate evidence into real-world practice

Whether supporting leadership teams, frontline clinicians, or academic institutions, my focus is always the same: practical, actionable strategies that work in real environments, not just on paper.

Experience that Sets Me Apart

My experience is not theoretical, it is built from real-world deployment, leadership, and clinical practice

From emergency departments to disaster zones, I have worked across the full spectrum of care, bringing a unique perspective that combines clinical excellence, operational leadership, and strategic insight.

This combination allows me to speak not only to what should happen, but what actually works when systems are stressed.

Awards

Recognition & Honors

National awards recognizing leadership in disaster nursing and global health

Surgeon General's Award

Humanitarian Service and Global Health

Nurse Responder of the Year

National Recognition

Fellow, FAAN, FEAN

American Academy of Nursing

Let’s Strengthen Preparedness Together

Schedule a call with Nurse Jamla to explore how we can work together to strengthen emergency readiness, disaster nursing systems, and public health outcomes