Over the last fifty years, the number of global disasters has increased fivefold. With a global increase in climate-related disasters and global pandemics, such as COVID-19, disaster response nurses will be increasingly in demand. Disaster response nurses are first responders to emergencies, including natural and environmental disasters, biohazardous and nuclear emergencies, and chemical and human-made disasters.
If you’ve weighed the challenges and rewards of being a disaster response nurse and want to pursue this nursing specialty, this blog post will provide you with everything you need to know about how long it takes to become a disaster response nurse, disaster response nurse certification, and even how to find opportunities as a disaster response nurse.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Disaster Response Nurse?
Sometimes during emergencies, humanitarian and relief organizations will accept volunteers who do not have professional accreditation but are able to support with more generalized tasks in emergency response. However, to work or volunteer as a disaster response nurse, individuals complete nursing programs and become licensed practical nurses (LPNs), registered nurses (RNs), or advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs).
You can complete an LPN program in as little as a year. There are full-time LPN programs, which are twelve months long, and part-time programs, which take eighteen months to complete.
Additionally, those interested in becoming RNs have options such as the following:
- Obtaining an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN), which takes approximately two years
- Completing a bachelor’s of science in nursing (BSN), which takes approximately four years
- Completing an accelerated program to obtain a BSNs, which takes one or two years (for individuals with bachelor’s degrees in other fields)
Disaster Response Nurse Certification
On December 31, 2022, the American Nurses Credentialing Center retired the National Healthcare Disaster Certification (NHDP-BC™).
However, certified clinicians who currently hold the NHDP-BC credential can maintain their certifications. Clinicians will need to renew their NHDP-BC by fulfilling professional development activities and applying for renewal through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. For information on renewing your certification, check out these frequently asked questions. You can also download the renewal requirements here and submit the form either online or by mail. As of January 2023, the cost to renew the NHDP-BC credential is $250 for members of the American Nurses Association and $350 for non-members.
Legal Elements of Disaster Response Nursing
While you’re likely here because you’re intentionally seeking a career as a disaster response nurse, it’s crucial to know that unresolved legal and ethical issues pertaining to disaster medical response could potentially hamper a nurse’s ability to respond in emergencies. In an
American Nurses Association (ANA) Issue Brief, ‘Who Will Be There? Ethics, the Law, and a Nurse's Duty to Respond in a Disaster,’ the association spells out the following concerns:
“In some cases, states have implemented laws that require licensed health care professionals to respond, and refusal to comply can be punishable. This approach does not help nurses feel comfortable about responding, especially when the other assurance systems for professional and personal protection are lacking,” the brief states.
The ANA suggests that policymakers and governing bodies instead “ensure the legal protections such as liability standards, license verification, and definition of the scope of practice for nurses and other licensed practitioners providing care in disasters.”
To alleviate some of these legal concerns, the Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act (UEVHPA) is a model legislation that, among other benefits, provides legal safeguards for medical practitioners who act within their scope and in good faith. Here is a list of states which have enacted UEVHPA model legislation.
Volunteering or Working as a Disaster Response Nurse
If you’re looking to volunteer as a disaster response nurse, the following organizations are a great starting point to enter this field. Consider connecting with them, registering for training, or even joining their roosters. While some organizations are always in need of nurses, others will reach out as the need arises and may expect you to dispatch immediately, which can include international travel.
- American Red Cross: During disasters, nurses—including licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and advanced practice registered nurses—are needed to care for and educate shelter residents. Nurses may be asked to volunteer locally or internationally.
- Doctors Without Borders: Also known as MSF, this international organization operates in emergency and humanitarian settings and often recruits licensed and credentialed health professionals to work for various short-term and long-term missions.
- International Medical Corps: This organization provides life-saving emergency healthcare to people affected by conflicts and disasters. Check out the organization’s website to see a full list of available positions.
- Community Emergency Response Team (CERT): This program by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers nationwide training and organization that professional responders can use in disaster situations.
- Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP): This federal program establishes volunteer registration programs for disasters, including public health and medical crises. All licensed and credentialed health professionals can register with the ESAR-VHP, including LPNs, RNs, and APRNs.
How to Find Opportunities as a Disaster Response Nurse
The above websites and humanitarian organizations offer both voluntary and paid positions as disaster response nurses. An additional tip on finding an opportunity as a disaster response nurse comes from Jamla Rizek, who is part of a federal emergency response team and has worked as a flight nurse, emergency nurse, and disaster response nurse. In an interview with Frontiers, Jamla shared step-by-step information on how she landed her current role:
“I liked the idea of being able to go on missions and still maintain a full-time job as an emergency nurse. Disaster response nursing was a way to blend exciting experiences and flexibility.
One way to get into this type of program and join one of the 42 Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT) is to visit www.USAjobs.gov and create an account and profile. I highly recommend inputting all your certifications in your profile, as well as taking advantage of their resume builder. It can be overwhelming at first because the website contains all of the government jobs, but once you create a profile and job-specific alerts, you will find it is easier to navigate. From there, you can set up an alert so any time a position is listed that falls under your professional category and under National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) you will receive a notification. NDMS is the umbrella that DMAT falls under. That is how I found my current role.”
Interested in becoming a disaster response nurse? Read more in our comprehensive guide on disaster response nursing, and join our community to connect with other health professionals, including nurses who work in disaster response.
