Nurses' Experiences of Responding to Calls for Emergency Service and Working during Hurricane Ike

Natural disasters inevitably inflict human suffering, and nurses are expected to respond and provide services during these chaotic times. Lost within this expectation are the experiences and concerns of nurses who are called upon to work yet who themselves are affected by the disaster. Most natural disasters occur with little to no warning to the affected regions. In 2008 the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reported 75 presidentially declared disasters in the United States, which included 20 hurricane-related disasters (FEMA, 2008a). Limited research exists in the area of nurses' lived experience of working during hurricanes. This study will partially fill this gap and lay the groundwork for future studies. Methods: a Husserlian descriptive phenomenological approach was used to uncover the meanings of nurses’ experiences as perceived through the eyes of nurses themselves. Purposeful snowball 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 were reported as themes; subthemes developed from repeated ideas of different participants. Ideas were labeled and categorized into a topic that was acknowledged as an emerging theme. Four primary themes and 16 sub-themes were uncovered. 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.