Disaster Nursing Lessons from the Field: What Every Nurse Should Know Before Deploying
Deployments look glamorous on social media, challenge coins, selfies in uniform, photos from the tarmac, but behind the scenes, disaster nursing is gritty, unpredictable, deeply human work. Whether you’re responding to hurricanes, caring for evacuees in shelters, or supporting overwhelmed hospitals during public health emergencies, the reality is this: You are stepping into someone else’s […]
What 175 Days of Deployment Taught Me About Resilience, Leadership & Humanity
When people hear “175 days of deployment in one year,” they usually ask the same questions:“How did you do it?”“Weren’t you exhausted?”“Why would anyone keep going back into disaster zones?” The truth is simple: the deployments shaped me as much as I shaped the response. They taught me leadership in places where systems were failing, […]
How Climate Disasters Shape Global Health: Lessons from Iraq, Gaza, and Beyond
Climate change is not a future threat-it is a present emergency, especially in countries already struggling with conflict, displacement, and fragile health systems. As a disaster nurse and global health researcher, I’ve seen how climate-driven disasters magnify suffering in ways most people never see. What’s happening in Iraq, Gaza, and other conflict-affected regions reveals a […]
Children in Conflict: What Nurses Need to Know About Pediatric Trauma
Children do not experience war the way adults do. They don’t understand geopolitical conflicts or military strategies-they only understand fear, loss, disruption, and survival. As a disaster nurse, educator, and someone who studies global health impacts, I’ve seen firsthand how profoundly conflict reshapes a child’s body and brain. Pediatric trauma in conflict zones isn’t just […]
Caring for Older Adults in Winter: Preventing Falls, Hypothermia & Isolation
Winter is challenging for everyone, but it carries unique and dangerous risks for older adults. As a disaster and emergency nurse, I’ve seen how quickly a simple winter hazard can become a life-altering event for someone over 65. A small slip-on ice. A home that’s a few degrees too cold. A week without social contact. […]
Why the Holidays Are Hard: Trauma-Informed Care for a Difficult Season
The holidays are marketed as a season of joy, family, warmth, and celebration. But many people experience December as something entirely different: heavy, lonely, overwhelming, or painful. As someone who has worked in emergency care, disaster response, and trauma-informed practice, I’ve seen this pattern year after year. Some people dread this time of year-and they’re […]
Carbon Monoxide: The Silent Winter Emergency Most People Ignore
Every winter, emergency departments fill with people who feel “off.” Headache. Fatigue. Nausea. Maybe they think they’re coming down with a cold or flu. But as a disaster nurse, I’ve seen too many cases where the culprit wasn’t a virus at all-it was carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide poisoning spikes every winter, especially during power outages […]
What to Donate to Food Banks: A Practical Guide to Making the Biggest Impact
Many food banks operate out of community centers, faith-based organizations, or temporary spaces without reliable cold-storage. That means items like milk, eggs, cheese, or fresh meat can’t be accepted. Even some fresh produce spoils before it can be sorted and distributed. To ensure donations are usable, it’s important to focus on shelf-stable foods and essentials […]
Winter Isn’t Coming It’s Here: Your No-Nonsense Family Preparedness Guide
Winter doesn’t wait for you to be ready. One day it’s chilly; the next day, you’re standing in your kitchen realizing your power’s out, your phone is at 12%, and your kid just asked why the house is humming like a refrigerator that gave up. As a disaster nurse who has deployed through blizzards, blackouts, […]
When You Might Need an Evacuation Plan
As a humanitarian responder working in complex, high-risk environments, having an evacuation plan isn’t just a “nice to have” — it’s part of your duty of care, your risk management and your personal safety net. Both MAGNUS International Search & Rescue and Global Rescue emphasize the importance of evacuation readiness: MAGNUS offers 24/7 crisis-management and […]