3M ™ Littmann ® Stethoscope Leadership Development Grant:
A Student-Led Community Initiative to Prepare for Disaster
By Monica E. Waddy, Hanna M. Stewart, Mary E. Peverall, Harmoni S. Bolling, Kimberly Hernandez Reyes, Caitlyn E. Geisman, Samuel H. Price, Megan Waterman, Sydnee Blackburn, Claire Henniker, Janice Hawkins, and Beth Tremblay
Old Dominion University’ s( ODU) Student Nurses Association( SNA) in the Ellmer School of Nursing received the 2024 3M™ Littmann ® Leadership Development Grant aimed at increasing community preparedness for disasters. When communities are actively involved in preparing for disaster, they may be more likely to take proactive steps to protect themselves and others( Appleby-Arnold et al., 2021). To foster this community-centered approach, our student-led initiative aimed to boost awareness of disaster preparedness and increase access to existing emergency resources. Another key objective was to equip nursing students with leadership skills for their future practices by supporting them through project management from planning through evaluation.
With the high frequency of extreme weather events, nurses need to work locally to prepare communities. The World Health Organization( 2023) highlighted climate change as a significant threat to global health, underscoring the need for comprehensive action. Extreme weather events( e. g., heatwaves, cold snaps, cyclones, tornados, floods, and droughts) impose substantial human and economic costs on communities( World Meteorological Organization, 2025). Between 1970 and 2021, extreme weather events accounted for more than 2 million deaths and approximately US $ 4.3 trillion in economic losses. Disparities in disaster recovery persist for vulnerable populations, including older adults, children, and economically under-resourced individuals( Davis et al., 2021). Southeastern Virginia, known as the Hampton Roads region, where ODU is located, faces a high risk of heat and flooding disasters( Climate Check, 2025).
Project Development
Our disaster preparedness project began with a thorough planning phase, focusing on identifying community needs
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