Due to Hurricane Katrina, it has become more apparent than ever how important that a common group of long-term care professionals, Directors of Nursing, have a forum in which to support one another. Our colleagues on the coast and southern part of the state have experienced an enormous loss, both material and emotional, and have not been able to have the support of the professional aspect of nurses that they so deserve. The nurses that have not been as affected by this tragedy want to give, but there is no unified outlet to give to our own colleagues, having that common bond in our commitment to nursing, we want to support each other, but do not know how to directly impact the lives of those in the same profession.

I am very concerned for these DONs and their emotional well being when this crisis is over. I, myself, have been unable to watch the news closely because I know that when I do sit down to absorb the enormity of this tragedy, it will be so hard to pick myself back up. We have had trees down, electricity outages, communication problems, and gas shortages, but certainly not the tremendous loss that others have felt losing their buildings, their homes, their staff and their residents right in front of their eyes. Our loses have been minimal when put up against a nurse at the bedside of an ailing resident, watching them take their last breath because the generator does not work, the oxygen does not work and the winds are blowing 150 miles per hour. Or the nurse that is watching the flood waters rise in the building, but unable to evacuate their residents to safety because there just isn’t any more time. These same nurses are having to take any drop of water that they can find just to flush the toilets. These nurses are dealing with families that are distraught because of the natural grieving process of their loved one dying, as well as the loss of their own homes and livelihoods. These same nurses are having to deal with the stress of staffing the building for what is left of the residents while trying to be compassionate and understanding that the staff is hurting and grieving and wondering what they are going to do with their lives when things settle down. These nurses are living in deplorable conditions, none of which could have been prevented or prepared for much differently. Help is coming as fast as it can, but that knowledge does not make the minutes tick by any faster. These nurses are under tremendous stress, and are continuing to make a difference in the lives around them, despite their own needs. They need to know first hand, from someone who understands the already enormous sacrifices of the profession, that we love and support them and that we are there for them if anything can be done to ease their pain.

These Directors of Nursing are going to need our support in rebuilding their homes and lives, as well as helping the elderly community regain the needed support for their activities of daily living. The critical shortage of nurses in long-term care has just increased dramatically. We cannot sit back and let these people hurt and need. We must join together as professionals, we must become a unified force so that there is a system in place to support one another in tragedies that may come our way again. We must become unified in the advocacy role that we play on a daily basis for our elderly across the state. We are called to do a job because we are long term care nurses. I cannot even begin to understand the needs of these residents and staff members, but I wish more than anything that they could find a way to contact me and let me know what I can do for them to help. My desire to help is as great as their desire to have help.

I am determined to make a difference. I am active in the movement to start a chapter for MS Directors of Nursing in Long Term Care to promote education, companionship, and consistency, as well as support political and social issues that we are faced with on a daily basis. We need a “voice” in the political arena. We need an forum to support each other on a professional level to prevent burn out among our peers, to stop “reinventing the wheel” when we face problems that others face on a daily basis, and we need educational opportunities to keep up with the issues that change daily in health care as they relate to our changing population. The benefit of a professional organization for directors of nursing in long term care will directly improve the lives of those in our facilities, which will, in fact, directly improve the long term care industry that we work in, as a whole.

As time ticks on by, you are right. Our small plight is nothing compared to our sisters and bothers in the southern ends of our surrounding states and ours as well. I have tried to take a leave of absense to transfer myself to my sister facility but am unable to do so. My residents need me here right now. I have put a call out to surrounding communities and nurses to help find relief help and beds for residents who need to be transfered and displaced.I am in agreement the nurses in MS need to stand together as well as those around the country, to support one another and to continue to pass along any knowledge or advice. We do need a voice in our government, sometimes our population, be it nurses or our elderly, is overlooked or passed over. It is time that we stand together and make our pressence known. This is the time to motivate your own staff and keep them focused on their own tasks ahead, the importance of the job that they do everyday. But we need to encourage and support those who need the help in the devistated areas as well. I am with you in that my need to help is as strong as their need for help. Janet I know that your sister facilities in LA and MS both probably need attention and relief as well. If there is anyway that I can be of assistance please let me know. That is what we are here for is to care and help, be it our staff that needs a helping hand or the nurses and residents for the distroyed areas. We as nurses have responsibility to ban together and help pick up the pieces of our sisters and brothers. To be thier support systems, to be their strength when this is all over.

Don't know how to help out the Sisters in the costal Louisiana, Miss, Ala towns except to pray for them I have provided a home for a displaced family thru the Church. They came her with only photos and clothes but now are at least in a house, our little community & all the staff at my facility have really helped out. Wish that every Nsg Home in the country would agree to send just 2 or 3 Nurses (with pay, without having to use leave)to a sister facility in the storm ravaged areas when help can get in there- If we all sent only 2, there would be plenty. We can help- we just gotta figure out how- who can help with that? Get enough Nurses in one accord and anything can be done. We do it everyday