INDIANAPOLIS — Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma) today announced a new collaboration with Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and additional support from the J&J Foundation to advance disaster preparedness, response, and recovery education for nurses. Disaster to Recovery: Prioritizing Nurse Wellbeing is an initiative delivering a comprehensive, evidence-based program designed to equip nurses with the psychological, emotional, and ethical tools needed to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disaster situations while sustaining personal wellbeing and professional performance.
Built around a three-phase framework—pre-disaster readiness, in-disaster support, and post-disaster recovery—the program provides practical training, resilience-building strategies, and peer-support models tailored specifically for nursing professionals and interdisciplinary care teams.
This initiative recognizes that nurses are often on the front lines of crisis response, and that emotional preparedness is as critical as clinical readiness. The support from J&J and the J&J Foundation is part of J&J CareCommunity, a global social impact platform that champions nurses and community health workers to advance access to quality care.
“Disaster response demands more than clinical excellence—it requires sustained emotional readiness, ethical clarity, and strong peer support systems,” said Sigma’s Interim Chief Nursing Officer Jenn Bodine, DNP, MHA, NPDA-BC®, CEN. “Through this partnership, we are delivering practical, evidence-based tools that help nurses protect their wellbeing while continuing to provide high-quality care under the most challenging conditions.”
A Three-Phase Model for Whole-Person Preparedness
The joint program is structured to support nurses across the full disaster lifecycle:
Pre-Disaster Phase — Building Resilience and Readiness
Training focuses on stress recognition, resilience frameworks, psychological readiness, and scenario-based decision-making under uncertainty. Nurses develop personalized resilience plans covering sleep, nutrition, social support, boundaries, and coping strategies. Modules include stress management techniques, peer support systems, leadership roles in emotional readiness, and ethical preparedness under crisis conditions.
During Disaster Phase — Maintaining Stability in Crisis
Participants learn Psychological First Aid principles (Look, Listen, Link), field-based coping strategies, crisis communication skills, and in-shift recovery techniques. The curriculum emphasizes team resilience, peer check-ins, micro-breaks, and ethical decision-making when standard resources are limited. Leaders receive guidance on maintaining morale and establishing on-the-ground mental health support.
Post-Disaster Phase — Processing, Recovery, and Rebuilding with Intention
Recovery-focused modules address post-disaster reactions, moral injury, grief, and trauma symptoms, along with pathways to counseling and peer support. Nurses are introduced to structured debriefing methods, mentoring models, self-assessment tools, and long-term self-care planning. The program also promotes post-traumatic growth and organizational cultures that sustain emotional wellbeing.
“This initiative reflects our commitment to strengthening the nursing workforce through preparation, protection, and recovery support,” said Sigma's Chief Executive Officer Lucas M. Davis, MEd, CAE. “By embedding resilience and peer support into disaster education, we ensure nurses are equipped to respond and supported in the aftermath.”
The program will be delivered through modular learning, applied exercises, interdisciplinary scenarios, and peer-supported practice models, making it adaptable across healthcare settings and regions.
Nurses from all clinical and academic specialties are invited to sign up for free at SigmaNursing.org/DisasterToRecovery.
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About Sigma Nursing
The Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma) is a nonprofit organization with the mission of developing nurse leaders anywhere to improve healthcare everywhere. Founded in 1922, Sigma has more than 100,000 active members and 600 chapters at institutions of higher education and healthcare partners from Armenia, Australia, and Botswana to Thailand, the United States, and Wales. Sigma members include clinical nurses and administrators, academic nurse educators and researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and others working to fulfill the organization’s vision of connected, empowered nurse leaders transforming global healthcare. Learn more at SigmaNursing.org.