Voices of Angels: Disaster Lessons from Katrina Nurses

by Gail Tumulty, John Batty

Overview

New Orleans nurses speak out about the storm.

When thousands fled in the face of Hurricane Katrina, nurses stayed at their posts in New Orleans hospitals to care for their patients. Facing unimaginable conditions, these professionals went without supplies, sleep, communications, and air conditioning as they overcame obstacles to save lives. The nurses interviewed come from healthcare organizations including Charity Hospital, Tulane Medical Center, Ochsner Medical Center, and the Emergency Operations Center in Baton Rouge. They paint a stark picture of systemic failures with catastrophic effects. The authors, experts in nursing and disaster response, offer analysis and recommendations for healthcare institutions nationwide.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781455621248
Publisher:	Pelican Publishing Company, Incorporated
Publication date:	07/02/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	NOOK Book
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	608,049
File size:	10 MB

About the Author

Gail Tumulty was professor emeritus of the Healthcare Systems Management Graduate Nursing Program at Loyola University New Orleans, which she developed and implemented. In her long nursing and management career she received a Nursing Excellence Award from the Ochsner Foundation, a Merit Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement, and an American Organization of Nurse Executives Research Scholar Award. Tumulty passed away before the publication of this book.

John R. Batty is an experienced psychiatric nurse who interviewed the nurses who treated patients during and after Hurricane Katrina. He and co-author Gail Tumulty presented the nurses’ experiences at the American Nurses’ Association conference. Batty’s research into hospital conditions and evacuations has made him a respected expert in disaster management. Batty, a former writer for First NBC Bank, lives and works in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 9

Introduction 11

Chapter 1 Katrina is Born 17

Chapter 2 Axes in the Attic 31

Chapter 3 Veterans Affairs Ready for Anything 47

Chapter 4 Pendleton Memorial Hospital: Closest to the Eye of the Storm 63

Chapter 5 Medical Center of Louisiana in New Orleans: A Confident Commander Weathers the Disaster 83

Chapter 6 Charity Hospital's Staff Pulls Together 101

Chapter 7 Tulane Medical Center Acts Decisively 115

Chapter 8 Ochsner Medical Center: Well Prepared and Undefeated 127

Chapter 9 Lambeth House in New Orleans Stands Tall and Strong 143

Chapter 10 Emergency Operations Center in Baton Rouge: No Command, No Control 153

Chapter 11 The Joint Commission Recommendations for Hospital Disasters 173

Chapter 12 Preparing Nurses for Disaster Response 187

Chapter 13 The Immediate and Long-Term Effects of the Katrina Disaster on Nurses and the city of New Orleans 199

Chapter 14 Epilogue: 10 Years After Katrina 217

Notes 224

Bibliography 231

Index 234