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Nurses pitched in to help Haitian
children following the disaster.
Source: Pat Schlosser
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It’s been two years since the catastrophic earthquake struck Haiti. Nurses
and nursing were severely affected. The national nursing school (Ecole
nationale d’infirmières d’Haïti) collapsed, killing some 200 students and
faculty. The headquarters of the national nurses association was damaged and
unusable.
Nurses responded from across the globe, and the American Nurses Foundation
(ANF) was one of 14 nurse organizations to send vital financial support to Haiti
nurses and the l’Association Nationale des Infirmières Licenciées
d’Haïti
(ANILH) through the International Council of Nurses.
Work in disaster areas is one of the most important ways ANF assists the
nursing community worldwide. In the case of Haiti, ANF’s work over the past two
years has been, and continues to be, driven by needs identified on the ground by
the Haitian nurses through l’Association. ANF has given support in
areas such as the purchase of tarpaulins for temporary shelter; blankets, basic
hygiene products, water, food, and the like for the immediate needs of nurses;
the repair and renovation of the ANILH headquarters; and the development and
delivery of a cholera management training course.
ANF is dedicated to continuing this vital work in Haiti and will continue to
prepare for any future disaster response. Thank you again to donors for this and
other disaster-relief efforts supported by the ANF.
For more information about how to give your support to ANF’s commitment to
nursing and nurses, go to www.anfonline.org.
— Kate Judge is the executive director of ANF. (printed in The American Nurse April 2012)