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At least 811 records · Page 45Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Disaster competency development and integration in nursing education.

Nurses, because of their nursing education and perspective practicing in multiple roles and settings, are uniquely qualified for mass casualty preparedness and response. Educating the current 2.7 million registered nurses and all future nursing graduates is a daunting task. Nursing education must ensure that graduates are prepared with the necessary knowledge and skills for mass casualty incidents. Four key entities are essential for education's successful implementation of disaster preparedness: education and professional organizations, accreditation and regulatory bodies, schools of nursing, and continuing education providers. This article examines the role each of these key entities plays in the development of a nursing workforce prepared for mass casualty response. In addition, the International Nursing Coalition for Mass Casualty Education (INCMCE) registered nurse (RN) competencies for mass casualty incidents and guidelines for integrating these competencies into the nursing education curricula are presented.

Clinical Competence↗
PubMed2005

Disaster nursing curriculum development based on vulnerability assessment in the pacific northwest.

Disasters caused by naturally occurring or deliberately caused infections, toxic chemical spills, radiologic releases, or other catastrophic events are likely to challenge the US health care system and pose special risks to vulnerable groups. Despite these threats in the environment,most US nursing programs lack disaster nursing content. This article describes disaster nursing competencies needed in Washington State based on standards, local geographic and population vulnerabilities,expert review, and surveys of nursing students and practicing nurses. Disaster nursing competencies included the following categories: (1)providing for patient care needs; (2) practicing safely; (3) preparing,implementing, and evaluating institutional and community protocols in preparation for a disaster; (4) reporting and communicating; and (5)accessing up-to-date information. Practicing nurses and student nurses indicated a strong need for disaster nursing content; the greatest perceived need was for content related to caring for injured or ill patients and practicing safely during a disaster.

Curriculum↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Earthquakes in El Salvador: a descriptive study of health concerns in a rural community and the clinical implications: Part III--Mental health and psychosocial effects.

BACKGROUND: In 2001, the mountain town of San Sebastian, El Salvador experienced a series of earthquakes that affected the livelihood of its people. METHODS: A convenience sample of 100 households of 594 inhabitants of San Sebastian and the surrounding rural farming areas was completed. One study participant for each household was evaluated for mental health and psychosocial changes after the earthquakes. The participant's questionnaire was used to investigate the relationship between physical health, access to health care, housing, food and water, and the occurrence of negative mental health markers six months after the disasters. RESULTS: Findings indicate that the majority (67%) of respondents experienced 6 or more mental health complaints. Risk factors associated with multiple negative mental health symptoms included change in household income and loss of job, a new illness or a new injury in the household, reliance on healthcare services since the earthquake, and managing a chronic illness. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate a need for rapid, acute mental health screening with at-risk groups and the need to educate the entire community regarding what medical and mental health treatments are available to reduce barriers to treatment and increase public awareness.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Venous thromboembolism in earthquake victims.

Sudden death from pulmonary thromboembolism following an earthquake has not been reported to date. This is a published case report of a 48-year-old woman who died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism on October 28, 2004. She lived in the Chuetu District in Japan, where a big epicentral earthquake occurred on October 23. She evacuated her house with her family and spent 4 of 5 nights in a private car. Until November 1, 8 persons who had been living out of their cars after evacuation from their houses in the District were treated for pulmonary thromboembolism. The immobility that comes with living in a car should be recognized as a risk factor for venous thromboembolism. In addition, potential preventive measures should be recommended, including provisions for emergency shelters, access to other temporary housing, public education, and the use of compression stockings.

Automobiles↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Rapid assessment of the needs and health status in Santa Rosa and Escambia counties, Florida, after Hurricane Ivan, September 2004.

BACKGROUND: Hurricane Ivan, a Category 3 storm, devastated the Florida panhandle on September 16, 2004, causing extensive property damage and 24 deaths. The Florida Department of Health requested assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct a rapid assessment in Santa Rosa and Escambia counties to determine the health impact of the hurricane and needs of the affected population. METHODS: A questionnaire was administered 6 days after the hurricane made landfall. The survey instrument elicited information about house damage, illness/injury, and access to utilities. A modified cluster sampling method was used to select 30 clusters in each county. Seven households were interviewed in each cluster and reported weighted frequencies. RESULTS: Three quarters of houses in each county were damaged. Households in Santa Rosa and Escambia lacked basic utilities, including regular garbage pick-up, telephone service, and electricity. Fifty-four percent of households in Santa Rosa and 27% in Escambia reported using a generator. The most commonly self-reported health conditions were sleep disturbances in Santa Rosa (54%) and upper respiratory problems in Escambia (46%). Injuries were reported in fewer than 15% of households in each county. CONCLUSION: Rapid restoration of power, telephone services, and debris pick-up remained a priority 1 week after the event. Findings demonstrated the need for (1) mental health and primary care services, (2) information about safe generator use, and (3) ways to access medical care and medications.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.↗
PubMedDate not supplied

IMERT deployment to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in response to Hurricane Katrina, September 2005.

An Illinois volunteer emergency response team was deployed to assist in the disaster care efforts following Hurricane Katrina. The team joined local care providers to establish a field hospital on the campus of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The team worked to support local providers, establish order, and assist more than 3000 evacuees. The challenges and lessons learned from this deployment are identified.

Disaster Planning↗
PubMedDate not supplied

After the storm.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The Sri Lanka tsunami experience.

The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 killed 31,000 people in Sri Lanka and produced morbidity primarily resulting from near-drownings and traumatic injuries. In the immediate aftermath, the survivors brought bodies to the hospitals, which hampered the hospitals' operations. The fear of epidemics led to mass burials. Infectious diseases were prevented through the provision of clean water and through vector control. Months after the tsunami, little rebuilding of permanent housing was evident, and many tsunami victims continued to reside in transit camps without means of generating their own income. The lack of an incident command system, limited funding, and political conflicts were identified as barriers to optimal relief efforts. Despite these barriers, Sri Lanka was fortunate in drawing upon a well-developed community health infrastructure as well as local and international resources. The need continues for education and training in clinical skills for mass rescue and emergency treatment, as well as participation in a multidisciplinary response.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Realities of disaster preparedness in rural hospitals.

Disaster preparedness has always been an area of major concern for the medical community, but recent world events have prompted an increased interest. The health care system must respond to disasters of all types, whether the incidents occur in urban or rural settings. Although the barriers and challenges are different in the rural setting, common areas of preparedness must be explored. This study examines the experiences of rural hospital emergency departments with threat preparedness. Data were gathered through a nationwide survey to describe emergency department experience with specific incidents, as well as the frequency of occurrence of these events. Expanding surge capacity of hospitals and developing a community-wide response to natural or human-made incidents is crucial in mitigating long-term effects on the health care system. Analysis of preparedness activities will help identify common themes to better prioritize preparedness activities and maximize a hospital's response capabilities.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2006

Unstable ethical plateaus and disaster triage.

Disasters are defined medically as mass casualty incidents in which the number of patients presenting during a given time period exceeds the capacity of the responders to render effective care in a timely manner. During such circumstances, triage is instituted to allocate scarce medical resources. Current disaster triage attempts to do the most for the most, with the least amount of resources. This article reviews the nature of disasters from the standpoint of immediate medical need, and places into an ethics framework currently proposed utilitarian triage schema for prioritizing medical care of surviving disaster victims. Specific questions include whether resources truly are limited, whether specific numbers should dictate disaster response, and whether triage decisions should be based on age or social worth. The primary question the authors pose is whether disaster triage, as currently advocated and practiced in the western world, is actually ethical.

Disaster Planning↗