Clinicians are needed in a variety of ways during a disaster.
The decision to volunteer your clinical time and talent is personal. Pre-credentialed volunteers in Georgia may be called upon during an emergency or disaster when local personnel and resource needs exceed what emergency response programs have on hand. Examples of events that might require enursing resources include hurricanes, disease outbreaks, terrorism, or major accidents and disasters. Volunteers may be called upon to dispense medications and vaccinations, treat evacuees in an emergency shelter, augment healthcare facility staff, etc.
The State Emergency Registry of Volunteers in Georgia integrates government-sponsored local, regional and statewide volunteer programs to assist emergency response and public safety organizations during a disaster. It is part of a national initiative to coordinate and mobilize volunteers to respond to all types of emergencies. Volunteers are pre-credentialed by signing up at https://www.servga.gov/ and may participate in state preparedness activities even
The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a national network of volunteers, organized locally to improve the health and safety of their communities. The MRC network comprises 996 community-based units and 206,575 volunteers located throughout the United States and its territories. Examples of activities that an MRC nurse might assist with include: Emergency Preparedness and Response Trainings, Health Screenings, Emergency Sheltering, Vaccination Clinics, First Aid During Large Public Gatherings, and Disaster Medical Support.
Nurses have always been a cornerstone of the American Red Cross. There are currently more than 15,000 nurses involved with paid or volunteer activities at all levels throughout the American Red Cross. The Disaster Health Service section of the ARC is dedicated to training and educating nurses in population disaster response.
HOSA is a national student organization that helps create opportunities for kids to gain technical skills in health science, in addition to related curriculum and classroom education. Information on the Georgia Chapter of HOSA can be found here. HOSA frequently collaborates with local, state, and federal emergency preparedness and response agencies and can serve as a wonderful volunteer resource during an event. Check out their MRC Youth Engagement Toolkit if you're not sure how begin engaging these young volunteers.