Disaster Prepared Nurses: A Case Study

The disaster nurses are known to be more professional in nursing skills to meet the nursing physical needs that results from the disaster. They mainly focus on health of communities and the entire population. This paper analyzes the role of major public health personnel and public health nurse in disaster management, with particular interest in the flood event occasioned by a tornado. It also describes chain of commands used in simulation for community health nurse and actions that can be taken by the community health nurse to solve the situation after disaster.

The most important aspect in managing a disaster situation is preparedness. The simulation Disaster in Franklin County highlights the role of public health personnel, with emphasis on the public health nurse because the nurse is often a first responder to such a disaster. This helps to examine the roles, actions, coping methods, and techniques used by a nurse in a disaster scenario.

Problems resulting from disasters linger for quite some time after the acute phase in a disaster and victims may have issues arise that they were not aware of initially. Community health nurses are often a primary point of contact for many of these situations and must be prepared for various problems. Sometimes, they are called on to simply reassure the victim that they are not alone in the situation and that help will continue to come. When a nurse allows a victim to discuss their concerns, the nurse can quickly expedite referrals to the appropriate area if it is out of their scope of practice. Occasionally, just having the validation and reassurance from a professional instills hope that things will get better soon. In the situation where the

The public health nurse has many resources available to help assist residents after a natural disaster. The priorities after a disaster such as a flood are for providing services in high-risk areas such as adequate and safe water, basic sanitation facilities, liquid and solid waste disposal, shelter, food protection, and personal hygiene. The public health nurse has access to written literature that can be provided to residents who are safe to remain in their homes, which describe food and water safety as well as hygiene measures. If residents are willing to leave an unsafe living environment, the public health nurse is able to locate shelters for temporary safe housing.

As a community health nurse, I would be most interested in a focus group to assist elderly residents in developing emergency and disaster preparedness plans. I choose this population because elderly citizens face great health and safety risks when emergencies and disasters strike (Clark et al., 2003). It is important for health care practitioners to understand the needs of the elderly in the communities they serve (Barratt, 2007). There may be a need to quickly evacuate the local area and elderly residents may lack proper transportation. Some seniors may become confined to their homes in a disaster. Others may not know what to do if they lose services such as water, heat, electricity and basic communication. Proper advance planning can mean the difference between survival and suffering or death.

In day to day operations, uncertainties do occur. Henceforth it would be important to have a contingent and well detailed disaster preparedness plan and procedures. Healthcare systems, on a day to day basis, are faced with emergencies in form of disasters. As a result, majority of medical centers have well-structured exit plans in the event of a disaster occurring("Hospital Disaster Preparedness: Your Guide to Getting Started - Emergency Preparedness", 2011). However, this essay will aim at interviewing one of the top disaster preparedness staffat the Houston Methodist Hospital. In the interview, I will seek to identify the top three disasters that the Houston Methodist Hospital is prepared for. Similarly, in the interview, I would seek to identify the top lessons learnt from disaster preparedness at the hospitals.As it concludes it would summarize the findings with regards to the interview stated below. Below is an excerpt from the interview to answer the two aforementioned questions.

Nursing revolves, not merely about looking after patients, but creating awareness in the society about self care nursing and prevention strategies and to communicate with their patients in a holistic manner, so as to satisfy their physical, mental and spiritual health needs. Various nursing theorists have repeatedly

Propose one example of a nursing intervention related to the disaster from each of the following levels: primary prevention, secondary prevention, and tertiary prevention. Provide innovative examples that have not been discussed by a previous student.

Techniques that were used or could have been used to calm the fears of the people interviewed are to use short and concise statements. Perform active listening and confirm statements by repeating it back to the person being spoken with, use confrontation avoidance, and De-escalation. The other nursing personnel could be prepared to help in responding to a similar emergency with a much larger affected area (e.g., the effect of Hurricane Katrina). Through the development of a well-organized disaster response plan. Public health staff requires National Incident Management System (NIMS) training. Emergency preparedness training should be performed at least every six months. There needs to be a method of communication in case power lines, towers and electricity are

and Dentistry and Director of the Program in Disaster Mental Health in the Department of Psychiatry and the UR Center for Disaster Medicine and Emergency Preparedness. For over a decade, he has responded to numerous national disasters as a volunteer with the American Red Cross. He has also developed comprehensive disaster mental health training programs for the New York State Office of Mental Health and the New York State Department of Health currently being disseminated throughout every county, state psychiatric center and acute healthcare facility throughout New York State.

CDC has a goal to reduce potential outbreaks of the preventable disease in a large group setting from the disaster with the use of vaccines (CDC, 2013). The public nurse is educating those communities regarding the importance of strengthening their immune system with receiving vaccines. The community and individuals will also be education on where to get the vaccines and how to manage themselves after vaccination for the event of the second complication. The community health nurses have a central role in providing prevention of disease and promotion health education after catastrophic like an earthquake.

Whenever a disaster strikes an unsuspecting community, from natural weather events like hurricanes and tornadoes to the manmade catastrophes caused by contamination, local community health nurses become a lifeline for stricken victims, providing medical care, basic sanitation, and nutritional sustenance. While treating the ailments of the sick and dressing the wounds of the injured are the chief priorities for any nursing professional, community health nurses typically administer care within a close-knit population group, and this familiarity often requires the offering of spiritual support as well. The immediate aftermath of any major disaster, whether natural or manmade, is a chaotic time when panic, fear, and uncertainty can easily run rampant, and community health nurses must prepare themselves to handle the nonmedical aspects of assisting patients through their recovery. Setting aside one's personal views on organized religion or faith, alleviating a patient's outward symptoms can only be effective to a certain point when they are grieving for the sudden loss of a loved one, or contemplating an uncertain future after their property and

Chapter six of the textbook, Biosecurity and Bioterrorism Containing and Preventing Biological Threats, by Jeffrey R. Ryan, goes into extensive detail on the different ways to respond to a potential or active bioterrorist attract. To better explain, there are many different types of responders. For instance, there are the first responders, as well as community response organizations (Ryan, 2016, p. 136). In addition, there are many divergent levels of first responders that are called to a scene of an intentional or unintentional release of a chemical or biological hazardous substance. These levels are listed in the textbook as first responder awareness level, first

Great discussion post! The emergency room nurse manager has a critical role during catastrophic events. Emergency department nurse manager is vital in creating ahealthy work environment during and after disaster situation. He/she must evaluate the teams’ performance and make necessary changes for improvement in the future. According to Harkness and DeMarco (2016), “following a thorough review of the responses, a final report is prepared with recommendations for improving emergency response in the future.” I definitely agree with you, the ED nurse manager must provide an ongoing education and training to better prepare for future disaster managemet. I enjoyed reading your discussion post. Have a great

When a disaster has taken place, first responders who provide fire and medical services will not be equipped to meet the demands for many services. Several issues such as the number of victims, communication failures and road blockages will stop people from accessing emergency services they have come to expect at a moment 's notice through 911 emergency services. Individuals will have to rely on others for help in order to meet their immediate lifesaving and life sustaining needs. If access is blocked or the agency’s capacity is exceeded, it may be hours or days before trained help arrives. There is a four-phase model that organizes the events of emergency managers. This model is known as the “life cycle” which includes dour