Disaster education for nursing students: A successful partnership with the American Red Cross

Educating nursing students on disasters is an essential component of baccalaureate nursing curriculum. Implementing effective education during and for rare events, such as disasters or pandemics, can be difficult for nursing programs attempting to cover required content.

This curriculum improvement project was integrated into our community clinical course over several semesters. Through a no cost partnership with the American Red Cross, we were able to educate students in disaster nursing and complete required clinical hours. A combination of online education with in-person or virtual simulation was facilitated by the American Red Cross and hosted by our university.

Students met learning objectives through completion of online learning and a simulation experience. Student perceptions of the learning experience were positive. Through this partnership110 students completed training as new Disaster Health Service volunteers for the American Red Cross.

This community partnership will remain part of our curriculum and could be replicated in other nursing programs. This model has demonstrated effectiveness in both the in-person and virtual class setting, allowing flexibility in content delivery.