Smoke Hurts More Than Flames
Wildfires aren’t just burn injuries. They’re: asthma attacks COPD exacerbations cardiac stress dehydration mental health strain Only the Brave highlights firefighter sacrifice, but EDs feel the ripple effects for weeks. What nurses see Inhalation injuries Carbon monoxide exposure Elderly respiratory failure Mass evacuations from nursing homes Practice pearls Early oxygen Check CO levels Expect delayed […]
Year of the Horse
There’s something grounding about being around horses in the winter, quiet breath in cold air, slow movements, no rushing… just presence. As we move into the Year of the Horse, I keep thinking about what it symbolizes: endurance, resilience, loyalty, forward motion. In disasters, we often talk about infrastructure, triage, and systems… but we don’t […]
Evacuation is a Healthcare Event
Most people think disasters start in hospitals. They don’t.They start in parking lots, highways, and shelters. Greenland shows something we rarely talk about in healthcare: what happens when thousands of people try to leave at once. What nurses actually see Missed dialysis Insulin shortages Oxygen-dependent patients displaced Medication loss Heat exhaustion and dehydration Practice pearls […]
Humanitarian Crises are Health Crises
Conflict isn’t just violence. It’s: dehydration infection malnutrition medication loss chronic disease collapse Hotel Rwanda shows what happens when systems disappear. This mirrors what we see in refugee camps and deployments. What nurses face Limited supplies Improvised care Vulnerable populations Ethical dilemmas daily Practice pearls Prioritize basics: water, sanitation, meds Expect chronic disease complications Use […]
When Everything Goes Right (Because Systems Worked)
Not every disaster is chaos. Sully is a story about preparation. Training. Checklists. Calm leadership. Exactly what we preach in disaster medicine. What nurses can learn Drills matter Protocols save time Team communication saves lives Experience builds calm Practice pearls Practice like it’s real Know your role before the event Use closed-loop communication Nurse Jamla […]
Disaster Diaries …
If there were a biography about you, what would the title be? ..Stories and Reflections from the Field, is my latest book, but not a biography or memoir. However, this book will give you insight on what it is like to be a Palestinian, Muslim, Hijabi, Nurse responding to disasters. The book is available on […]
The Side we Don’t See: Mass Fatality Planning
United 93 is quiet, tense, and painfully real. But what most people don’t think about is what happens after. Air disasters require mass fatality management, family assistance centers, and coordinated incident command — areas nurses often support but rarely train for. What nurses may be tasked with Victim identification support Family reunification centers Psychological first […]
Tornado Season is an ED Surge Event
Tornadoes don’t arrive one patient at a time. They arrive all at once. When Twister shows entire towns flattened, that’s not exaggeration. For rural hospitals especially, one tornado can exceed capacity in minutes. What nurses actually see Blunt trauma and impalements Crush injuries Pediatric injuries Debris contamination No power or limited staffing Practice pearls Expect […]
Caring for Patients in Conflict
Children of Men feels dystopian, until you’ve deployed. Then it feels familiar. Crowded shelters. Limited supplies. Civilians caught between violence and survival. This is what conflict medicine looks like. What nurses face Resource scarcity Pediatric malnutrition Trauma without imaging Security threats Moral injury Practice pearls Improvise safely Document simply Protect neutrality Take care of your […]
When the Internet Goes Dark
No explosions.No virus.Just silence. And honestly? That’s more realistic. When power and communications fail, fear spreads faster than any pathogen. What happens in real life Rumors replace facts Patients show up late or not at all Medication refills stop Chronic disease worsens 911 systems overload Practice pearls Keep paper protocols ready Teach patients home preparedness […]