Nursing Education For Disaster Management What Is Disaster Preparation?
Disaster preparation is the proactive process of developing comprehensive plans to protect individuals, families, and communities before, during, and after a natural or man-made disaster. Disasters are events that overwhelm available resources, posing significant threats to life, property, and the environment. They can be natural, such as floods, fires, hurricanes, winter storms, tsunamis, mudslides, and volcanoes, or man-made, including chemical spills from vehicles or trains, plane crashes, or terrorist attacks. Disaster preparation involves creating strategies that encompass all stages of disaster management: preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery, and evaluation.
Responsibility of Nursing Faculty for Disaster Preparation
Nursing faculty play a crucial role in preparing students to handle a wide range of clinical settings, including healthcare facilities and community environments. This preparation involves both theoretical knowledge and clinical skills to ensure that nursing graduates are competent and confident in diverse situations. It is essential that nurse educators train students at all levels to be ready for and capable of responding to disasters. The education should cover the five phases of the disaster preparation cycle: preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery, and evaluation (Goodwin Veenema, 2013).
Preparedness begins before a disaster strikes and involves planning the actions that need to be taken before, during, and after the event to protect people and property. This phase includes creating individualized plans for each person’s circumstances, such as assembling a disaster “go-bag” with irreplaceable and essential items. Disaster preparation must consider two different scenarios: evacuation or sheltering in place.
If a disaster like a hurricane makes it unsafe to remain in the current location, the plan should include alternative evacuation routes, maintaining a half tank of fuel in vehicles, and having emergency supplies available in case shelter is not accessible. Conversely, if conditions outside are hazardous, such as during a chemical spill or nuclear fallout, sheltering in place is required until it is safe to evacuate. Supplies should include water and other essentials to survive until safe evacuation is possible.
For nurses, disaster plans must include workplace preparedness since they may be called in to work during a disaster. Knowing the disaster plans at work, including evacuation procedures and sheltering-in-place protocols, is vital. Agencies, including healthcare facilities receiving federal funding for disaster preparedness, must comply with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA, 2008). Nurses involved in disaster response should complete several NIMS courses, including IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, and IS-800, to understand the roles of various agencies during a disaster.
The mitigation phase involves efforts to minimize the loss of life and property by reducing the impact of disasters and creating safer communities. Examples of mitigation include building levees in flood-prone areas, constructing tornado shelters, or enforcing stricter building codes in earthquake or hurricane-prone regions. Healthcare facilities can contribute by securing shelves, identifying multiple vendors for critical supplies, and backing up critical files at an offsite location.
The response phase includes notifying and communicating with those affected by a disaster through emergency alerts like sirens, broadcasts, or smartphone apps. Organizations such as the American Red Cross (ARC) or FEMA may set up shelters, service centers, or temporary healthcare facilities if local hospitals are damaged or destroyed. If the disaster involves hazardous materials, decontamination stations may be established. Specialized response efforts may be needed for individuals with serious health conditions or those requiring oxygen, medications, or durable medical equipment. People with developmental or mental health needs will require additional support and services to cope with the disaster’s effects.
The recovery phase, which can last from weeks to years, focuses on restoring communities to their pre-disaster state. Although the community may never fully return to its original state, coordinated efforts by government agencies, charitable organizations, and volunteers can help the community recover and build resilience.
The final phase, evaluation, involves a thorough review of all disaster preparedness stages to determine their effectiveness. Ideally, this evaluation should be conducted during periodic disaster drills involving all community organizations outlined in the plan. Waiting until an actual disaster occurs may reveal flaws in preparedness strategies too late to address them effectively.
How Nursing Faculty Are Useful for Disaster Management Training
Nursing faculty have access to a wealth of free educational materials that can be used in class lectures or for students’ self-study. Organizations such as FEMA and the ARC provide resources to guide professionals in the phases of disaster education. FEMA offers free online training about NIMS, and the ARC provides printed and online materials designed for individuals, families, and organizations to assist them in preparing for disasters.
For nurses who volunteer with the ARC, free educational modules (such as Ready RN) have been donated by experts like Goodwin Veenema, an international nurse expert in disaster preparedness. These resources cover a wide range of topics and provide practical guidance on responding to various types of disasters, from biological and chemical threats to nuclear or radiological hazards.
A task force of ARC volunteer nurses has developed a free course for pre-licensure nursing students to prepare them to serve as Red Cross volunteers under RN supervision in disaster shelters. Educators may consider incorporating this course into their Community Health Nursing or Leadership and Management curriculum. Additionally, Sigma Theta Tau International offers an affordable online continuing nursing education (CNE) course to prepare staff nurses and other healthcare professionals for disaster situations.
By integrating these resources into their teaching, nursing faculty can effectively prepare their students to respond to disasters, ensuring they understand the protocols and actions required to protect themselves, their families, and their communities.
Impact of Disaster Management Training
As both citizens and healthcare professionals, nurses are expected to set an example for their communities by demonstrating personal, family, and professional preparedness. This includes following the steps outlined in the disaster preparedness stages, ensuring that they and their families are ready for any potential emergencies. Once these personal resources are in place, nurses can collaborate with colleagues at their healthcare facilities to create and implement comprehensive disaster preparedness plans.
Nurse educators are pivotal in preparing current and future nurses to participate fully in all aspects of the disaster preparedness cycle. Through their guidance and expertise, they help students develop the knowledge and skills needed to handle the challenges posed by disasters, ultimately enhancing the resilience and safety of both healthcare providers and the communities they serve.
Disaster management training has several significant impacts on nursing education:
- Enhances Preparedness: Disaster management training equips nursing students with essential knowledge and skills to respond to emergencies effectively. This training includes understanding disaster terminology, disaster cycle phases, and specific nursing roles during a disaster.
- Builds Confidence: Training programs help build confidence in nursing students, enabling them to make quick decisions in high-pressure situations. By simulating real-life disaster scenarios, nursing students gain hands-on experience in dealing with emergencies.
- Improves Community Response: Disaster management training prepares nursing students to work effectively with other healthcare professionals, emergency responders, and community members. This collaborative approach improves the overall response to disasters and enhances community resilience.
- Promotes Leadership Skills: Disaster management training fosters leadership skills in nursing students by providing opportunities to take on roles and responsibilities in disaster preparedness and response. Leadership development is crucial for managing emergencies and coordinating relief efforts.
- Encourages Lifelong Learning: Disaster management training instills a culture of lifelong learning in nursing students, encouraging them to stay updated on disaster preparedness protocols, new research, and emerging trends in emergency management.
Conclusion
Nursing faculty play a vital role in disaster management training by equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to respond effectively to emergencies. Disaster preparation is an essential component of nursing education, encompassing a wide range of activities from theoretical learning to hands-on practice in simulated disaster scenarios. By integrating disaster management principles into nursing curricula, educators prepare their students to handle any crisis that may arise, ultimately contributing to safer and more resilient communities.