Experiences of nurse volunteers in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of volunteer nurses after the Haiti earthquake, January 2010. Design: A descriptive qualitative study design using in-depth interviews focuses on experiences of 12 American nurse volunteers who served in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted in person or by phone using an interview guide. The interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, and checked for accuracy. Data analysis was assisted using NVivo9. Findings: Six themes emerged: initial shock, relentless work, substituting and making do, questioning, systems building, and transitioning back. Conclusions and implications: Nurses who are interested in volunteering after a disaster can expect the experience to be overwhelming and will require them to exercise great flexibility, creativity, and strength in their nursing practice. Nurse volunteers can expect a rewarding experience that will likely change their perspective on nursing work and personal life.Keywords: Haiti; disaster nursing; nurse volunteers; qualitative researchOn January 12, 2010, a disastrous earthquake struck Haiti near the capital of Port-au-Prince (PAP). The epicenter was 15 miles from the capital with a magnitude of 7.0. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS, 2011) estimated that 222,570 people died, 300,000 were injured, and 1.3 million were displaced. The earthquake's devastating effects were magnified by the country's underlying pervasive poverty, poor infrastructure, and weak government (Central Intelligence Agency [CIA], 2011). The unique circumstances in Haiti including poverty, fragile environment, centralization of most national services in the capital, and a long history of political instability combined to make this one of the gravest humanitarian crises in modern history.Thousands of nurses responded to the crisis, providing needed care ranging from emergency and trauma care to primary care services within the community. Although many publications have described personal and anecdotal experiences of individual nurses (Burnweit & Stylianos, 2011 ; Deckelbaum, 2010; Goodman, 2010; Huffman, 2011; Lau, 2010), none have used a scientific study approach to report nurses' experiences following the Haiti disaster. The aim of this study was to fill the knowledge gap about the experiences of nurses who volunteered in Haiti after the earthquake and to answer the question "what were the lived experiences of the volunteer nurses who responded to the 2010 Haiti earthquake?" The significance of this study is to help prospective nurse volunteers in future disaster situations in terms of preparation they may need and what to expect during the volunteer period and after they return home.The literature reports that nurse volunteers from prior disaster situations may have negative physical and psychosocial outcomes (Palm, Polusny, & Follette, 2004). Although anecdotal accounts of nurses' reactions during emergencies abound, little empirical work has been done to investigate the factors associated with positive and negative outcomes for nurses responding to humanitarian emergencies in foreign countries (Zinsli & Smythe, 2009). Some factors may be protective for health care workers, such as years of experience and presence of supportive colleagues (Pearlman & Saavkvitne, 1995). Individual characteristics that may assist nurses in adapting to traumatic situations include efficacy of coping skills and high baseline levels of physical and mental health (Palm et ah, 2004). International humanitarian nursing work is reported to be emotionally and spiritu- ally rewarding, but can also include significant risks such as assault, kidnapping, exposure to unsafe working conditions, infectious diseases, chemicals, or civil unrest (Zinsli & Smythe, 2009).Disaster nursing can entail significant psychological consequences because of nurses' exposure to trauma through their patients (Gray, Maguen, & Litz, 2004). …