Turning danger into opportunity: teaching psychiatric nursing in the aftermath of a disaster

In the wake of a devastating flood that destroyed the ecology of a small town, undergraduates taking their first clinical course in psychiatric mental health nursing formed AGAST (Awesome Guerillas Against Situational Trauma) and, with their instructor, performed individual and group crisis intervention over an intensive 90-hour clinical rotation. Three theories were used to help guide the students assessments and interventions with survivors. The clinical experience required innovation, close connection with the host community, and multi-level support from the educational institution. Students rose to the occasion and blossomed in the rich clinical matrix of the experience. The example can be applied to the use of other naturally-occurring events as theaters for innovative clinical teaching.