Lived experiences Of nurses who were called to work and worked during Hurricane Ike

Introduction: Natural disasters inevitably inflict human suffering and nurses are expected to respond and provide services during these times. Lost within this expectation, are the experiences and concerns of the nurses who are called upon to work and yet are themselves affected by the disaster. Most natural disasters occur with little to no warning to the regions that are affected. In 2008 the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reported 75 disasters in the United States (FEMA, 2008). Included in these declared disasters are 20 Hurricane related disasters (FEMA, 2008). Limited research exists in the area of nurses' lived experience of working during Hurricanes. This study will partially fill this gap and create the groundwork for future studies. Method(s): A Husserlian descriptive phenomenological approach was used to uncover the meanings of nurses experiences as perceived through the eyes of the nurses. Purposeful sampling was used to identify registered nurses who worked during Hurricane Ike. An open ended interview format was used for data collection. Data analysis followed Colaizzi's (1978) method and field notes were maintained throughout the process. Trustworthiness was addressed using Lincoln and Guba's (1985) method for rigor. Results: Results are reported as themes developed from repeated ideas of different participants. Ideas were labeled and categorized into a topic which is acknowledged as an emerging theme. Discussion & Conclusions: Thematic findings may be used to inform the development of future policies that address nurses' needs and staffing guidelines along with enhancement of educational programs. Uncovering the needs and concerns of nurses may improve nurse response and patient outcomes.