Michigan Legislation for Hospital

Disaster Nursing Volunteer Leave Policy

Policy Brief

Nursing 450 Capstone

(Kyle) Kurt Freund, RN

Nurses Punished for Serving in Disasters

Introduction
Nurses have a chosen profession to serve those in
need. When disaster strikes so does the need for
effective nursing care. Nurses volunteering in
drastic circumstances should be supported. One
way is to create a Disaster Nursing Volunteer Leave
Policy that protects
nurses from losing
their employment
or
suffering
reprimand
upon
their return from
caring for victims
of disaster. Nurses
who fall into the
guidelines outlined in the policy will have their
employment status protected when they complete
their volunteer disaster leave.
Amy Lewis, RN shared in a Ferris State University
discussion group recently about being on a
Honduras medical mission in the fall of 1998 when
Hurricane Mitch swept through. Amy wrote, The
fact that we were there put me in the mindset to help
through the immediate phase of the disaster, despite
the danger to myself. While down there working
with the death and destruction, I was very concerned
for my personal safety, and the fact that this was
always on my mind was emotionally exhausting. I
do feel that if hospitals had a policy in place that
would protect your job in the instance of an
employee going to serve in the event of a disaster,
Michigan Disaster Nursing Volunteer Leave Policy Brief

more people would be willing to serve. But, the

reality of the fact is that most people depend on their
job and the income it provides and thus, cannot risk
that in order to serve on disaster relief endeavors.
When I was stuck in Honduras for 32 days, my job
was definitely in jeopardy, and I was given
disciplinary action despite the fact that I was down
in Honduras, on a humanitarian medical mission and
could not physically get out of the country due to the
devastation which had closed the airport. If there
had been a hospital policy in place, I would have
had one less stressor then dealing with the situation I
was in, (Lewis, 2015).
Amy required protection while she served those
affected by Hurricane Mitch. During disaster,
nurses like Amy are needed to offer their aid. A
Disaster Nursing Volunteer Policy will support
nurses willing to volunteer while ensuring more
involvement by eliminating a major stressor so that
they can focus on the caring of others.
Nurses have been a part of disaster preparedness
and response as long as nurses have existed.
Although the early nurses who responded to
emergencies during historic events may have been
something other than the fully educated, licensed,
certified, professional nurses as we know them
today, their described role is consistent with a
modern understanding of nursing: attention to the
injured or ill individual; ensuring provision of water,
food, clean dressings, and bedding; providing relief

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from pain; and offering a human touch that says "I

care.", (Gebbie, K., Qureshi, K. , 2006).

secondary collapse of their stressed systems,

(FEMA, 2015).

Nurses can play a huge role in disaster relief /

conflict. Nurses have always played an important
role on the front lines of disasters, in the field of
public health and disaster. Nursing has continued to
expand its scope and define its significance. Nurses
have the ability offer care at the time it is needed,
(International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),
(2012).

Disaster Nursing Volunteer Leave Policy

The inevitability of disasters happening creates the

need for preparedness. Disasters have been an
integral part of the human experience since the
beginning of time, causing premature death,
impaired quality of life, dislocation, and altered
health status, (Veenema, 2013). Having a fully
motivated volunteer nursing resource is vital in
minimizing the devastation.

Michigan Nurses will be protected by the Michigan

Legislation under the Michigan Disaster Nursing
Volunteer Leave Policy.

During disasters or conflicts nurses are often

assigned to triage and screen for health problems,
administration of first aid and psychological
support, implementation of infection control and
monitoring
the
outbreak
of
disease. As well
as playing key
roles in epidemic
investigations,
engaging
in
surveillance and
reporting,
collecting
specimens,
administering
immunizations,
and educating the community. (Magnaye, et. al.,
2011).
When nurses serving in these less than optimal
conditions can focus fully on the matters at hand
then the victims receive better care, (Rubenstein,
2012). More effective care allows more resources
for more people. This becomes less taxing on the
surrounding medical communities and minimizes
Michigan Disaster Nursing Volunteer Leave Policy Brief

In the event of a disaster or urgent community

scenario in which another health care facility is
unable to maintain operation without more nursing
staff; nurses from another hospital may volunteer
under certain guidelines without compromise to
their employed position or reprimand.

1. Employees may request an unpaid Michigan

Disaster Nursing Volunteer Service Leave to
serve in a disaster or urgent community scenario.
2. Six weeks per twelve-month period is the
maximum amount of volunteered time.
However, an employee may request approval for
Michigan Disaster Nursing Volunteer Leave in
excess of six weeks per twelve-month period.
The decision to grant such extension is at the
discretion of the Hospital.
3. Requesting Disaster Nurse Volunteers are to
provide written documentation of the
a. Estimated time being allocated towards
disaster volunteer service
b. Institution or organization facilitating the
medical disaster relief efforts that the
volunteer will be serving
c. Whether they want to use already acquired
Paid Time Off for hours served during
disaster. The employer of the volunteer is
not liable to offer more then what their
employee has already accumulated through
the employers own policies and standards
Opponents of such mandates may point out that
vulnerability towards the medical facility that
employs volunteers may arise with less staff to
fulfill their standard level of care and financial
liabilities if volunteers are injured or killed during
their service during a disaster that leads them away
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from their employment duties. Therefore the

Michigan Disaster Nursing Volunteer Leave Policy
will also mandate the following to protect employers
of Michigan Disaster Nursing Volunteers.
4. The requesting Disaster Nursing Volunteers
Employer has the right to review, through their
facilities standards of practice, whether the
department of the requesting volunteer will be
adversely affected by the employees absence

7. A request form is to be filled out as soon as

possible in the event that a nurse is present
during a disaster and begins volunteering
immediately due to unprecedented
circumstances.
Request for Disaster Nursing Volunteer Leave
Name
Job Title
Department
Scheduled Hours/week
Date of Hire

.
Acceptance or denial of the volunteers request
for unpaid leave during a disaster is based on
their employers understanding of the requesting
volunteers departments condition of continued
operational potential during the volunteers
requested time. If the volunteer is approved for
a select amount of time and due to unpredictable
conditions caused by the disaster the volunteer is
unable to return to work on time, then the
volunteer is protected under the mandated policy
as long as they have returned to work as soon as
possible. Under the policy, there is to be no
reprimand or disciplinary measures due to
unpredictable extension of voluntary leave.
5. Workers Compensation coverage or Sick Time
will not be eligible to Disaster Volunteers during
time of requested leave. Nor will any liability be
insinuated for injury or death by the Employer
during the time of leave.
6. The Employer is not responsible to hold the
volunteers position if the volunteer is unable to
return back to work at the standards of ability
the employee was hired to perform before the
Disaster Volunteer Leave.

While on Disaster Volunteer Leave, I choose (check only on

to be paid PTO hours each pay period (up to my FTE sta
Leave
not to use PTO during this Voluntary Service Leave
Employee Status
Exem
Non-E
I hereby request that I be granted Volunteer Service
Leave from (date) ___________________________
To(date)___________________________________
For the following purpose:
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Signature of Employee
Date
Volunteer Service Leave Approved from (date)
___________ to (date) __________________
Volunteer Service Leave Denied
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Department Manager
Date
www.wha.org/data/sites/1/emergencyprep/volunteer.doc

Michigan Disaster Nursing Volunteer Leave Policy Brief

Page 3

Conclusion

References

Where disaster will strike is not always predictable

but the need for nurses when it does is, (Footer &
Rubenstein, 2013). Without policies in place to
protect nurses jobs during disasters a decrease in
volunteers will create inadequate nursing resources
thus more people will suffer. This could increase
causalities and further stress surrounding medical
facilities, (Footer, & Rubenstein, 2013).
In these moments of inevitable disasters we need
State Legislation to support the jobs of nurses
willing to volunteer where and when they are
needed.
Hospitals,
under
the
Michigan

Disaster Nursing Volunteer Leave Policy, will be

mandated to protect a nurses job security in the
event they are called to volunteer during a disaster
or urgent community event. Within appropriate
guidelines outlined in the Michigan Disaster
Nursing Volunteer Leave Policy, victims of the
disaster, along with the volunteers, and the
employers can be protected from avoidable
hardship. This policy encourages skilled nurses to
volunteer in the event of disaster while eliminating
threats to their livelihood when they deservingly
return home.
Michigan Disaster Nursing Volunteer Leave Policy Brief

Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA).

(2015). www.fema.gov
Footer, K.H.A.,& Rubenstein, L.S. (2013). A human
rights approach to health care in conflict.
International Review of the Red Cross. 95(889):
1-21. doi:10.1017/S1816383113000349
Gebbie, K., Qureshi, K. ( 2006). "A Historical Challenge:
Nurses and Emergencies". OJIN: The Online
Journal of Issues in Nursing. Vol. 11 No. 3,
Manuscript 1.
Google.com/images
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),
(2012). Health care in danger: The
responsibilities of health-care personnel working
in armed conflicts and other emergencies.
www.icrc.org
Lewis, Amy (2015). Safety of health care during
disasters. Ferris State University Nursing 450
Discussion Board Forum: Online Discussion
Week 2/19- 2/25
Magnaye, B., Munoz, S.L., Munoz, M.A.F., Munoz,
R.G.V., Muro, J.H.M. (2011). The role,
preparedness and management of nurses during
disasters. E-International Scientific Research
Journal. 3(4):p.269-294.
http://www.eisrjc.com/documents/The_Role,_Pre
paredness_And_Management_Of_Nurses_Durin
g_Disasters_1325648617.pdf
Rubenstein, L.S. (2012). Protection of health care in
armed and civil conflict: Opportunities for
breakthroughs. Center for Strategic &

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International Studies. p. 1-10.

www.hrhresourcecenter.org/node/3963
Veenema, T.G., 2013. Disaster nursing and emergency
preparedness for chemical, biological, and

Michigan Disaster Nursing Volunteer Leave Policy Brief

radiological terrorism and other hazards. (3rd

ed.). New York: Springer Publishing Co.

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