If you haven't already, check out MedScape's blog - numerous nurses tell their front line stories in the aftermath of Katrina. Some memorable quotes:

"The looks on some of the faces of these people will probably haunt me for the rest of my life. I already see these people in my dreams. The cries of the residents (and even some of the staff) when they are told they have nothing left to go back to and that we do not know if their families have made it, are sometimes too much to handle."

"Not one person I spoke to had on their own clothes; they were grateful for the donations. It was overwhelming and for the most part seemed unbearable, but every time I looked up to take a deep breath, the outpouring of love and humanity I witnessed gave me strength to move on to the next cot, holding the next person."

"My [8-year-old] daughter provided much-needed assistance by running paperwork back and forth to order medications or to bring me supplies. I watched her facial expressions as she gently placed stickers on the patients signaling that they had been seen by the nurse, always making eye contact and always with a smile. I knew that her life was changed forever, for the better."

Also, check out the story of this 113-bed mobile hospital.