Preparing Nurses in Communities to Respond to Local Disasters
Author | : Shane A. Archibald |
Publisher | : |
Total Pages | : 0 |
Release | : 2021 |
Genre | : Disaster nursing |
ISBN | : |
History and present-day circumstances worldwide show that natural and human-made disasters are events that can, and will continue to happen. Disaster Preparedness Organizations, at all levels, recognize the challenges and limitations to local and immediate responses. Nurses living within a community are a valuable, and overlooked, resource for disasters. However, many nurses do not have the required disaster education, experience, or resources. The purpose of this DNP led project is to prepare and educate nurses living in Davis County, and working at Lakeview Hospital, about disaster skills and to respond to any future community disaster. This project used the World Health Organizations Disaster Management Cycle to develop a modified virtual program during the COVID-19 pandemic to help educate and prepare Lakeview nurses on early or immediate disaster recognition, assessment, interventions and skills, and build confidence. The impact of the program was evaluated using Likert scale surveys of pre- and post-teaching evaluations which were collected and evaluated for improvements and changes. Eight nurses from Lakeview Hospital volunteered for the course, all of whom have previous Emergency Room experience, with three of the eight nurses now working in management positions elsewhere within the hospital. Education amongst the nurses who were involved in the project was noted and helped encourage self-reliance and self-sustainment for the participants. All nurses showed an increase in knowledge about early disasters and learned skills, along with an increase in overall confidence. This program demonstrated that there is a need in the nursing community for further education and preparedness related to disasters and immediate community response. It is critical the community neighborhood is prepared to respond immediately to any disaster. Nurses living in a community can be prepared to meet that need by using programs to educate and prepare them. Continued work with both hospital and community preparedness programs is needed to further develop partnerships, establish coalitions, develop measurable objectives, and help solve preparedness problems. This program can be used in both a university or community setting to teach or re-teach nurses on basics of disaster response and preparedness.