As natural disasters become more frequent and intense, the demands on nurses responding to crises, who help care for families in crisis, are growing rapidly. But these nurses are often navigating their own stress and loss and require specialized training focused on wellbeing, psychological preparedness and long-term recovery—skills that are just as essential to recovery as clinical expertise.
To address this Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma), with support from the J&J Foundation, is launching a new, free accredited online training program, Disaster to Recovery: Prioritizing Nurse Wellbeing, designed specifically for nurses responding to disasters. The program offers comprehensive, evidence-based resources that support readiness, performance and mental health before, during and after disasters.
This initiative builds on the ambition of J&J CareCommunity, Johnson & Johnson’s global social impact platform committed to championing nurses and helping ensure they have the resources and skills needed to care for communities safely and sustainably.
“More and more nurses responding to disasters are being asked to perform under unrelenting pressure,” said Alice Lin Fabiano, Global Head, Social Impact & Partnerships, Johnson & Johnson. “This program supports nurses by giving them the tools to prepare, the resources to sustain themselves during a response and the guidance to heal after the work is done. Without thriving clinical providers, healthcare can’t be delivered.”
About the program: Disaster to Recovery: Prioritizing Nurse Wellbeing
The new curriculum was developed with subject matter experts in disaster management, nursing education, mental health, psychology and community-based emergency response. Hosted on Sigma’s robust online learning platform, the program offers flexible, multimedia courses that nurses can complete at their own pace.
The content focuses on three core phases of disaster response:
1. Preparedness
This phase focuses on building the practical and mental readiness needed in preparation for disasters. Courses introduce:
- Psychological readiness
- Coping strategies and self-care planning
- Scenario-based decision-making
- Interdisciplinary teamwork in high-stress environments
By strengthening foundational resilience skills up front, nurses can enter disaster zones more confident and better equipped to manage uncertainty.
2. Response
When responding to an unfolding disaster, nurses face rapidly changing conditions and intense demands. Modules provide tools they can use in real time, including:
- Psychological first aid
- Acute stress management techniques
- Ethical decision-making in resource-limited situations
- Peer support check-ins and rapid-access mental health strategies
These courses will help nurses deliver high-quality care and safeguard their mental health while working under pressure.
3. Recovery
Once the immediate crisis passes, many nurses experience prolonged emotional strain. Recovery courses help them navigate the aftermath through strategies for:
- Identifying and coping with trauma, burnout and compassion fatigue
- Accessing counseling or psychosocial support
- Peer debriefing frameworks
- Reflective practice tools to help nurses transform experiences into learning
“Disaster response doesn’t end when the immediate crisis is over—and neither does its impact on nurses,” said Sigma Chief Executive Officer Lucas M. Davis, MEd, CAE. “This program ensures nurses are supported at every stage, so they can continue to lead and care with strength, skill and confidence.”
Stronger nurses, stronger communities
For more than 125 years, Johnson & Johnson has stood with nurses as leaders, caregivers and innovators in health and community care.
Our collaboration with Sigma reflects that commitment. By investing in training that prepares nurses, supports them during crisis and helps them recover afterward, we are helping build a foundation of resilience that will strengthen communities long into the future.
Because when nurses are equipped, communities are stronger, safer and better able to recover from whatever comes next.
Learn more and sign up today
To explore the full curriculum and register, visit www.sigmanursing.org/disaster-to-recovery.