In Disaster Preparedness, a course originally developed by Karen Dawn in the School of Nursing, students learn disaster response guidelines used by nurses in communities, such as limiting injuries and maintaining community health. Students immerse themselves in disaster nurse roles, including rapid, effective response, and care coordination.
Students identify an organization to work with, and use the principles gained in class and lectures, to develop disaster preparedness plans with them. Depending on what the partner organization requests, students provide disaster plan handbooks, conduct workshops, and connect them to local resources to increase capacity to effectively respond to disasters.
For information about Community Engaged Scholarship at GW: https://go.gwu.edu/cesc
Semester Reports
Spring 2023
Professor: Karen Dawn
Students Reporting: 25
Time Reported: 250 hours
This semester students worked with Casa, Seneca Family of Agencies, Interfaith Works, Sasha Bruce Youthwork, WA ARNG, George Washington Health and Rehabilitation, Dexcom, Shrine of Sacred Heart, Mount Baker Ski Area, Heartline Apartments and Condominiums, North Point Preschool, Two Rivers PCS, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Heritage Hall Nursing Home, Fairfax County Public Schools, Jamil-ul-Jalil Islamic Organization, and Santa Cruz County Schools.
For information about Community Engaged Scholarship at GW: https://go.gwu.edu/cesc
Examples of Student Projects
Santa Cruz County Schools: Collaborating with Santa Cruz County Schools, a student developed a disaster-plan and framework to prepare students and administration for flooding events at the school.
Mount Baker Ski Area: A student worked with adolescents and family members to educate people on avalanche safety, preparedness, and action plans. The student also worked to connect people with resources on avalanche awareness and preparedness.
Shrine of the Sacred Heart: A student worked to update the disaster preparedness plan for the church and then translated the plan into Spanish. The student led sessions on the updated plan in both English and Spanish.
Student Quotes:
"It was gratifying to give back to the community and church I grew up in as a child."
"I learned preparedness efforts that can be made at an individual and family level both on the mountain and off the mountain. Gained valuable knowledge to impart onto families and within communities that enjoy recreational snow activities."
"I learned that disaster preparedness is essential in every situation. I believe that teaching people about what to do, where to go, and how to prepare for the environment before an emergency happens is vital."
