RED CROSS WANTS NURSES

THE Philippine Red Cross is organizing a nurse corps in preparation for bigger and more devastating disasters that may hit the country anytime. PRC Chairman Richard Gordon said they are organizing the Cross Nurse Corps which can serve beyond hospital routine and help build the culture of volunteerism in the country. Gordon said the Nurse Corps will be composed of 724 registered nurses who will serve as catalysts between the Red Cross and the community. They will help intensify the Red Cross 143 volunteer program, the flagship program of the PRC that recruits and trains 44 volunteers in every barangay, school and work place, and will act as disaster responders when calamity strikes. “I have thought of organizing nurses because of their professional background and natural character of being caring and compassionate to their suffering fellowmen which is the main concern of the Red Cross,” explained Gordon. “Nurses are also vision-focused and results oriented, and have the ability to communicate, train and organize community volunteers. Nurse Corps will likewise give jobs to registered nurses, many of whom remain unemployed,” he added. The 724 nurses to be hired will be mainly responsible for recruiting and training Red Cross 143 volunteers at the municipal level of the identified 656 municipalities and 68 cities (one nurse for every three municipalities/cities) in the most disaster prone areas in Regions III (Central Luzon), IV-A (Calabarzon), IV-B (Mimaropa), V (Bicol region), VI (Western Visayas) and VII (Central Visayas). The Nurse Corps will also be expected to raise funds for the RC 143 program and their respective resources. “The Nurse Corps and Red Cross 143 volunteers will be the humanitarian soldiers of the Red Cross in the community who will help save lives in times of disaster and other emergencies,” Gordon said. Applicants must be a registered nurse, preferably coming from the same area where he/she will work, knowledgeable of the local dialect, culture and dynamics of the municipality. They must also be computer literate, pro-active and persuasive, proficient in both oral and written communication, personable and physically fit, and must be able to organize and lead a group. Applicants must also be focused, fast, friendly, flexible and forward-looking. More importantly he/she must be willing to commit to the objectives of the Red Cross Movement. Nurse Corps will undergo comprehensive Red Cross Nurse Corps training and will have hands-on experience in the most respected and largest humanitarian organization in the country.