As many American families celebrated Thanksgiving last week, a number of registered nurses offered their own gift of healing for the holidays by volunteering to deploy to the Philippines to provide medical support for those affected by the Super Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. One of those RN volunteers is Gandessa Orteza of Burtonsville, MD., a surgical intensive care unit RN at Medstar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. Orteza, who was born in Quezon City, a part of metropolitan Manila, says she still has a lot of family in the Philippines, some in Iloeosur who she still has not heard from. “As nurses, we reach out to those who are sick and injured,” Orteza said. “I am eager to join the RN Response Network effort to help the people and communities devastated by the terrible storm in the Philippines.”   To date 3,000 RNs from all 50 states and 19 nations have volunteered to assist with the relief project for Haiyan/Yolanda. NNU, which intends to continue sending RNs to the Philippines long after the world’s spotlight has faded, is inviting the public to contribute to the effort.
- photo by Rick Reinhard