Providing Health Education and Disaster Preparedness Training in the USA and Haiti: A Global Collaboration

The purpose of this presentation is to describe how a Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) Region 14 member collaborated with STTI members and nurse leaders to provide health education and disaster preparedness training in the USA and Haiti. The STTI Region 14 member initiated community health projects and disaster preparedness projects in the United States of America (USA) and Haiti, in collaboration with STTI members and nurse leaders. From 2012 to 2014, over 15 projects were initiated in New York, USA and Leogane, Haiti. The projects were conducted through Worldwide Community First Responder, Inc. (WCFR), a non-profit organization based in New York with a mission to prevent deaths worldwide through education and training. Projects in Haiti were supported by a grant from Haitian American Nurses Association (HANA) in Florida, and engaged the Faculté des Sciences Infirmières de Léogâne (FSIL), a nursing school in Haiti. STTI members and nurse leaders from different levels of leadership collaborated in the projects. The community health projects consisted of conducting community health assessments through surveys; analyzing data collected and recommending interventions to improve community health. The disaster preparedness projects consisted of community risk and vulnerability assessments for disasters; developing disaster preparedness plans including first response and first aid training. The projects were evaluated through pre and post questionnaires given to the participants on community health and disaster preparedness. The results were very positive. The community health projects engaged participants in promoting healthy lifestyles in their community. The disaster preparedness projects engaged participants in making their community safer, better prepared, and more resilient to disasters. The STTI Region 14 member connected and engaged STTI members and nurse leaders in providing health education and disaster preparedness training locally, regionally, and globally. The collaboration between STTI members and nurse leaders has proven to be beneficial for all stakeholders. The goals of the projects are: to improve the quality of pre-hospital care; and to lessen the adverse medical effects created by natural disasters. The importance of these collaborations between STTI members and nurse leaders to advance world health and celebrate nursing excellence will be discussed.