Also, AHA encourages hospitals to make any contributions
via traditional relief organizations

The Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) is helping coordinate a disaster relief effort by nurses to help the earthquake victims in Haiti.

At the same time, the American Hospital Association is encouraging hospitals interested in donating staff time, money, supplies or equipment to make those contributions via traditional relief organizations.

The MNA is asking both member and non-member nurses who are available to help in Haiti to visit www.nationalnursesunited.org to register.

"We are calling on nurses across Minnesota and the entire United States to join us in this critical relief effort," Minnesota Nurses Association President Linda Hamilton, R.N., said in a news release Wednesday. "Nurses can help provide the crucial medical expertise, patient care and support needed in response to this tragic situation."

The MNA is a part of National Nurses United (NNU) and is affiliated with the Registered Nurse Response Network (RNRN), which sent hundreds of nurse volunteers to the Gulf region following Hurricane Katrina. It also sent volunteers to Sri Lanka after the South Asia tsunami.

As of Thursday, some 4,500 U.S. nurses had signed up to volunteer for the mission. More than 1,800 of those nurses participated in a national conference call Thursday. The NNU announced it will set up a command center in Miami to prepare the first team for deployment.

Read more here.

AHA recommendation

The American Hospital Association encourages hospitals to consider donating via the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) or other well-established, private-sector relief organizations. To donate via USAID, visit its Web site. Inquiries related to donations should be mailed to this e-mail address.

In addition,this Minnesota Medical Association link lists numerous organizations that are accepting aid for Haiti.