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Chamberlain College of Nursing Responds to Disaster in Japan
Chamberlain Joins with Nurse.com to Help Educate Nurses on Emergency Response Procedure

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. — April 7, 2011 — Responding to natural disasters requires qualified professionals who possess the education and experience necessary to ensure safe and effective support. In the wake of the recent earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant leak, Chamberlain College of Nursing has joined with Nurse.com, a Gannett company, to provide nursing professionals with up-to-date information on how to help and prepare from home until Japan calls for on-site nursing assistance.

The recently launched web page, www.nurse.com/japan, offers daily news updates on the medical relief effort in Japan, interactive photo galleries and stories of nurses working in the face of unprecedented circumstances. In addition, continuing education (CE) courses were specially designed to be relevant to Japan’s situation and cover topics such as radiation exposure, crush injuries and post-traumatic stress. The courses are complimentary and are available online until May 21, 2011.

“As our hearts go out to the people of Japan, we’re grateful that this sponsorship has provided the opportunity for us to help prepare nursing relief workers,” said Susan Groenwald, president of Chamberlain College of Nursing. “At Chamberlain, we recognize that one of our core duties as nursing professionals is to be of service wherever and whenever disaster strikes. Right now, our duty is to assist Japan, whether that’s at the scene or at home.”

According to the American Red Cross, more than 550,000 people in Japan were evacuated, most of whom are in shelters and are in need of food, water and medical care. In the coming months, the demand for qualified nursing relief workers is expected to grow as chronic diseases, hypothermia, dehydration, food and fuel shortages and radiation exposure become more widespread throughout the country.

“Our specialized training courses on radiation, post-traumatic stress and emergency preparedness go beyond the clinical aspects of educating professionals,” said Dorothy Angelini, director of continuing education for Nurse.com. “They provide an accessible platform to truly help nursing professionals understand and prepare for the situations they could face in Japan.”

Susan Fletcher, EdD, MSN, a professor and head of Chamberlain College of Nursing’s international nursing service project trips, added, "It’s important to note that survivors of disasters may experience frustration, anger and feelings of helplessness. Through this sponsorship, nurses can be educated on how to identify and care for patients suffering from post-traumatic stress, which can be just as supportive as emergency medical relief.”

To learn more about the Chamberlain College of Nursing sponsorship with Nurse.com, visit www.chamberlain.edu/ce. 

About Chamberlain College of Nursing
Chamberlain College of Nursing offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in nursing. Campuses are currently located in Phoenix, Arizona; Jacksonville, Florida; Addison and Chicago, Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; Columbus, Ohio; Houston, Texas; and Arlington, Virginia.

Chamberlain College of Nursing is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, ncahlc.org. HLC is one of the six regional agencies that accredit U.S. colleges and universities at the institutional level. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program at the Addison, Arlington, Chicago, Columbus, Houston, Jacksonville, Phoenix and St. Louis campuses and the Master of Science in Nursing degree program are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036, 202.887.6791). The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program at the St. Louis and Columbus campuses and the Associate Degree in Nursing program are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree programs at the Phoenix and the Addison campuses are candidates for accreditation by NLNAC. Candidacy is the first step toward NLNAC accreditation (NLNAC, 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, 404.975.5000). Accreditation provides assurance to the public and to prospective students that standards of quality have been met. Program availability varies by location. Chamberlain reserves the right to update information as it becomes available. Information is current at the time of posting. For the most updated accreditation information, visit www.chamberlain.edu/accreditation.  

Chamberlain College of Nursing, LLC is a part of DeVry Inc. (NYSE: DV), a global provider of educational services. ©2011 Chamberlain College of Nursing, LLC. All rights reserved. www.chamberlain.edu.

About Nurse.com
Nurse.com is the premier website for registered nurses, published by Gannett Healthcare, a nursing and health care communications company and the largest print and electronic publisher of news and information for registered nurses, physical therapists and occupational therapists. In addition to Nurse.com, GHG publishes the magazines Nursing Spectrum, NurseWeek, Today in PT and Today in OT, as well as the websites Todayinpt.com, TodayinOT.com and PearlsReview.com.

Gannett Education, a division of Gannett Healthcare Group, (has been an accredited provider of continuing nursing education for 18). In addition to continuing education offerings, Gannett Education provides an online and print inventory of more than 700 CE courses available for retail purchase on Nurse.com; employer-sponsored access to the same CE inventory for more than 300,000 nurses from 350 hospitals through CE Direct®; and a wide variety of venues for education, such as regional career fairs, CE seminars, and Blend Vocation With Vacation® cruises and study tours.

For more information regarding GHG, visit gannetthg.com.