September 11, 2001 – The Impact on Nurses There have always been nurses at the forefront where the need arises. From Pearl Harbor to Vietnam, the Gulf War, to natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy. So, when the twin towers were destroyed, and lives were lost, while others suffered tremendous injuries, nurses were there to help every step of the way. Ground Zero – New York University Medical Center The day started for all of the nurses as a typical day. Around 9 am many heard on the radio that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. The first reaction from every nurse listening was that they hoped no one was injured. Shortly thereafter they heard two planes crashed and it was both towers, that is when most nurses realized the day would be far from typical. The hospital went into disaster mode, accepting nothing but patients from the disaster. Some of the nurses were transported to ground zero to assist, those that are FEMA certified are specially trained in disasters. The nurses had to walk the last few blocks, the roads were too covered in derbies for the ambulance to make it through. A makeshift triage was set up, some nurses remained there while others went to the actual ground zero sites. One nurse describes the air as being full of dust, in fact, so full it made it appear dark. There were millions of papers flying everywhere, and the dust and ashes were 3-4 feet high in some areas. As people came running from the buildings, they would spot the uniformed nurses and run to them. Some of the people were in shock, but physically ok. Others had serious injuries, and yet their bodies were still going at full strength. Injuries varied, and there was so much chaos, it was difficult to decide who needed to be treated first. One nurse recalls treating a man that was missing the lower portion of his arm. He was not aware that his arm was missing, he requested the nurse to do stitches on his injury. She tied the injury off, and had he transported to the hospital, later learning the entire arm had to be amputated. Related: 5 Ways to Organize Your Paperwork Injuries Treated Numerous injuries due to smoke inhalation, including firefighters and police.
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