Having read many reports of the Haitian earthquake disaster, I am sure there are many nurses who would like to help but feel totally inadequate to volunteer. First of all, there is the problem of gaining relevant training and experience. There is no doubt that UK nursing education, even at degree level, is unlikely to prepare you adequately for the situations or conditions you will meet. There are some short courses around, but the real problem comes in gaining the right sort of experience to feel confident, and be of value to a humanitarian disaster team.