A fixture at the American Red Cross since 1976, Tina Johnston, BSN, RN, has been on the front lines of countless Midwest floods, hurricanes in Hawaii and the Virgin Islands, literally hundreds of fires, as well as plane and train wrecks. She was part of the first and only Red Cross team dispatched overseas when an aircraft carrying numerous Americans crashed in Singapore.

True to form, Johnston participated in an interview with ADVANCE while on a short break from the flood relief efforts in Rockford, IL. She credited her educational background as key to her success in her endeavors.

"My nursing background is the backbone of everything I do. To do what we do every day, the critical thinking and decision-making skills I learned in my nurse training are extremely important," she reflected.

Johnston started as part of the Red Cross' volunteer nurse corps after practicing in California and Washington D.C. She was involved in nearly every facet of the organization, from the health education and disaster relief programs to blood pressure screening and the blood donation program. Johnston rose to become the head nurse for the blood program. Today, Johnston is "retired" as a staff member of the association, but is active as leader of a team of nurses working in disaster conditions.

Like many positions in nursing, Johnston's job provides a great deal of variety. She sums up her duties as "being here to provide a resource to clients with health-related needs." Long before the emergence of concierge practices in the health landscape, Johnston and her colleagues at the Red Cross were going to bat for their patients.

When the Mississippi River flooded in 1979 and again in recent weeks, that meant Johnston and her team could be found distributing water and snacks to those displaced from their homes. When an elderly patient's doctor expressed concern about him sleeping in a low-lying cot, Johnston didn't hesitate to find a hotel for the victim and his wife for a week until their home was habitable again.

Johnston's efforts in Chicago are frequently aimed at helping residents displaced by apartment fires, a common occurrence in the city. Whether it's a three-flat or multiunit structure that burns, Johnston ensures the victims' medicine will be reimbursed, even if it means Red Cross picks up the co-pay or just takes on the burden of contacting the pharmacy and insurance company. When a victim needs hospitalization, the nursing staff guarantees he has a place to go after being released. If accommodations and meals create a problem, Johnston can always find a solution.

Though Johnston is on the forefront of disaster and interacts directly with patients, she credits the entire team with helping victims through trying times. Despite this, perhaps her greatest asset is as a shaper of young minds. After all, when she taught a class of nine last May, seven of her pupils signed on as disaster volunteers even though all of them had full-time jobs and families. It's just Johnston's way of continuing care for generations to come. n

Robin Hocevar is regional editor at ADVANCE.