NURSES ROLE IN DISASTER & EMERGENCY

BY: MARICEL BARBAS

ROLE OF THE NURSE AT THE DISASTER SITE

Insure safety First Aid Emergency care

NURSES ROLES IN DISASTERS

Determine magnitude of the event Define health needs of the affected groups Establish priorities and objectives Identify actual and potential public health problems Determine resources needed to respond to the needs identified Collaborate with other professional disciplines, governmental and non-governmental agencies Maintain a unified chain of command Communication

COMMUNICATION IS A SUCCESS KEY

Nursing organizations must have a comprehensive and accurate registry for all members Have a structured plan:

Collaborate and coordinate with local authorities Have a hotline 24x7 Inform nurses where to report and how (keep records) Make sure have a coordinator to prevent chaos Ensure ways to maintain communication between nurses and their families

CORE COMPETENCIES IN DISASTER NURSING

TRAINING Ethical and legal issues, and decision making; Care principles; Nursing care; Needs assessment and planning; Safety and security; Communication and interpersonal relationships; Public health; and Health care systems and policies in emergency situations

TOPICS THAT MUST BE COVERED BY DISASTER

NURSING TRAINING Basic life support System and planning for settings where nurses work Communications (what to report and to whom) Working in the damaged facilities and with damaged equipment Safety of clients and practitioners Working within a team (understand each members role and responsibility) Infection control Mental and psychosocial support (WHO, 2006)

BUILDING DISASTER NURSING SUPERCOURSE

Reasons: Nurses form the largest health care professional group Nurses are the main health professionals in touch with the community Shortage in number of structured nursing programs in disaster preparedness Nurses deal with the physical stresses of a disaster, and more importantly the fear, stress and uncertainties of disasters

BUILDING DISASTER NURSING SUPERCOURSE

Reasons: Nurses receive little training in disaster preparedness, prevention and Mitigation (general not specialized training) Expected increase in disasters and in numbers of causalities in particular in developing countries Developing countries has the highest burden and has limited resources

BUILDING DISASTER NURSING SUPERCOURSE

How:
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Provide training for future generations of nurses who might be engaged in a disaster Collaborate with WHO Build disaster nursing lectures to train nurses worldwide Promote partnerships among instructors at schools of nursing in the world in the area of disaster nursing Offer up to date evidence based scientific knowledge to enhance faculty training

Most of all, if gains in health and nutrition during emergencies are to be sustained, graduates need to understand the importance of capacity building of national staff and institutions.