The first dedicated RNRN team arrived in the Philippines on Friday and hit the ground running, meeting with disaster relief officials and community supporters, and providing hands on work at a makeshift tent clinic.

It's a great start – and we have many volunteers ready to help following the ravages of Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda.

Thanks to all who have already signed up to volunteer and donate financial support for this relief effort. So far, more than 2,500 RNs from all 50 states and 15 countries have stepped up to volunteer.

RNs can volunteer to help in the Philippines here >

Help send nurses! Donate to the RNRNR relief fund, click here >

RNRN team meets with local relief organizations. See more photos on Flickr >

The advance team is still gathering information and assessing potential deployment sites in the Philippines. Once there are confirmed future deployments, RNRN will be contacting volunteers with those details. The advance team is currently setting a very important foundation in order to make sure that our volunteers are the most effective that they can be.

Watch and SHARE this short video message from our RNRN team in the Philippines.

Within hours of their arrival, the RNRN team met with local disaster relief and medical officials, and even helped some of refugees at a tent clinic.

On Monday, the team traveled to the island of Panay in the Visayas region to assess needs there. According to the Panay Center for Disaster Response, at least 6,000 families from sixteen Iloilo towns are being sheltered in temporary evacuation facilities on Panay.

The RNRN advance team met with several relief organizations and the governor and vice governor of the Iloilo province, and will spend the day visiting existing relief sites. They will continue to assess the needs throughout the region and work with our Filipino allies to identify potential future deployments.

This will be a tough recovery process so we appreciate all of your help and patience. If you can’t volunteer, your donations are just as valuable because it’s what enables us to get nurses to the disaster area.

RNs can volunteer to help in the Philippines here >

Help send nurses! Donate to the RNRNR relief fund, click here >

Michelle Vo, RNRN volunteer with patient. See more photos on Flickr >

We also are collecting stories of people who have family affected by the typhoon.

If you have loved ones affected by this terrible disaster, please share your story here >

Thank you again for responding to our call for assistance.

We will keep you posted on the team’s progress.

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Thanks!