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, resilience in moments where hope was thin, and humanity in its rawest form.
Here are the lessons that changed how I lead, how I practice, and how I see the world.
1. Resilience Isn’t Strength-It’s Strategy
People assume resilience is about being tough. It’s not.
Resilience is:
✔ conserving your energy
✔ knowing when to stop
✔ knowing when to lean on your team
✔ finding moments of grounding even in chaos
On deployment, you don’t survive by pushing harder-you survive by pacing yourself with intention.
2. Leadership Means Serving, Not Controlling
During deployments, titles don’t matter; behavior does.
I learned that leadership shows up in:
– the person who makes decisions nobody else wants to make
– the person who volunteers for the night shift
– the person who sits with a frightened patient
– the person who quietly checks on the team at 3 AM
Leading in disaster zones is not about hierarchy.
It’s about integrity.
3. Crisis Reveals Who People Are-And Who You Are
When systems fail, power goes out, supplies run low, or families break down, you get to see humanity clearly. People show their kindness, fear, frustration, creativity, generosity, or grief without filters.
Crisis strips away the unnecessary and shows you the core of human behavior-including your own.
4. Burnout Doesn’t Come From Workload-It Comes From Feeling Unseen
Deployments taught me that nurses can tolerate long hours, difficult conditions, and high acuity.
What breaks them is:
– lack of support
– poor leadership
– unclear roles
– feeling undervalued
– moral distress
When leaders listen, support, and advocate, burnout decreases-even in impossible settings.
5. Small Acts of Humanity Matter More Than Clinical Perfection
In shelters, community centers, airports, and field tents, I’ve seen the power of:
✔ handing someone a warm blanket
✔ sharing a snack
✔ making eye contact
✔ remembering a child’s name
✔ offering a quiet corner for someone to breathe
People remember compassion more than procedures.
6. Preparedness Isn’t a Concept-It’s a Lifeline
The deployments reinforced one truth: preparedness saves lives long before responders arrive.
Communities with:
– strong local partnerships
– clear communication channels
– training
– stockpiles
– health literacy
…recover faster and lose fewer lives.
Preparedness is not a luxury. It’s an act of equity.
7. You Become a Different Version of Yourself After Deployment
Deployments change your worldview.
You become:
– more aware
– more empathetic
– more strategic
– more purpose-driven
– more grateful
– more grounded
You realize that leadership isn’t about standing in front-it’s about standing with.