their pets were safe.
Grant Benefits
This grant deepened the engagement of our SNA members with the surrounding community. Sharing our experiences and insights with junior students provided motivation, encouraging their participation in other student-led initiatives. We saw SNA enrollment between the senior and junior classes increase by 10 %. Junior students now intend to continue the work we began with this project, expanding it to include university students with other health science majors. We anticipate the continued engagement will further boost interest and involvement in the SNA.
Conclusions
This project was an incredibly rewarding experience that highlighted the importance of community education and proactive disaster preparedness. It allowed us to develop valuable skills in disaster planning and communication, and we are grateful for the opportunity to contribute meaningfully. We encourage other nursing programs to consider engaging in community-based disaster preparedness projects.
On a personal level, this project motivated most of us to create our own comprehensive disaster preparedness kits. Recent events, such as severe storms and wildfires, have only reinforced how quickly disasters can strike. This initiative clearly demonstrated how vital it is to equip the public with basic disaster readiness knowledge to significantly improve overall safety and preparedness for communities.
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References
Appleby-Arnold, S., Brockdorff, N., & Callus, C.( 2021). Developing a“ culture of disaster preparedness”: The citizens’ view. International journal of disaster risk reduction, 56, 102133.
Climate Check.( 2025). Hampton, VA Top Climate Change Risks: Heat, Precipitation, Flood. https:// climatecheck. com / virginia / hampton #:~: text = Drought % 20risk % 20is % 20significant., these % 20buildings % 20is % 20 relatively % 20low
Davis, C. R., Berke, P., Diamond Ebanks Holloman, M., Griffard, M. R., Haynes, S., Johnson, E.,... & Rakes, E.( 2021). Support strategies for socially marginalized neighborhoods likely impacted by natural hazards. Coastal Resilience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC. Retrieved from https:// naturalhazardsresiliencecenter. org / wp-content / uploads / 2022 / 04 / Support-Strategies-for-Socially-Marginalized-Neighborhoods-1. pdf
Dorazio, J.( 2022, July 19). How FEMA can prioritize equity in disaster recovery assistance. Center for American Progress. https:// www. americanprogress. org / article / how-fema-can-priori- tize-equity-in-disaster-recovery-assis- tance /
Thobaity A.( 2024). Overcoming challenges in nursing disaster preparedness and response: an umbrella review. BMC nursing, 23( 1), 562. https:// doi. org / 10.1186 / s12912-024-02226-y
Virginia Department of Social Services.( 2024, November 18). Virginia department of social services launches disaster SNAP benefits for victims of hurricane Helene. [ Press Release ]. https:// myemail. constantcontact. com / VDSS-Launches-Disaster-SNAP-Benefits-for-Victims-of-Hurricane-Helene. html? soid = 1139259523298 & aid = o- j40ax8KUXQ
Virginia Department of Transportation.( 2020). Hampton Roads Hazard Mitigation Plan. VDOT Virginia. https:// www. vdot. virginia. gov / media / vdotvirginiagov / projects / hampton-roads / i-64-opportunity-connector-federal-grant / FEB- DRAFT-2022-Hampton-Roads-Hazard-Mitigation-Plan. pdf
Voyles, T.( 2020). Coastal Adaptation & Resilience Master Plan. Natural Resources Virginia. https:// www. naturalresources. virginia. gov / initiatives / resilience--coastal-adaptation /#:~: text = Coastal % 20Virginia % 20faces % 20 an % 20existential % 20threat % 20from,- sea % 20level % 20rise % 20in % 20the % 20 United % 20States
World Health Organization.( November 3, 2023). We must fight one of the world’ s biggest health threats: climate change. Retrieved from https:// www. who. int / news-room / commentaries / detail / we-must-fight-one-of-the-world-sbiggest-health-threats-climate-change May 6, 2025
World Meteorological Organization,( 2025). Socioeconomic impacts and benefits, Retrieved from https:// wmo. int / topics / socioeconomic-impacts-and-benefits, May 6, 2025.
NSNA school chapters can apply for the Littmann ® Stethoscope and Marilyn Bagwell Leadership Development Grants. Deadline is February 6, 2026. Grants are designated for official NSNA school chapters established for a minimum of one year that seek to foster the development of leadership skills in nursing students.
One grant of up to $ 2,500 will be awarded to two official NSNA chapters that wish to enhance involvement in NSNA while developing leadership skills among nursing students at the school and community level. For more information, visit: www. fnsna. org / leadership-development-grants
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