Role of the Nurse in Disaster Management

Summary

Jaden Jankoski and Sierra Seeley, fourth-year nursing students from the University of Regina, present a comprehensive overview of disaster management's four stages: prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. They highlight the pivotal role of community health nurses in each stage, emphasizing the importance of holistic care, risk assessment, and education. The video also underscores the significance of personal and professional preparedness, including strategic planning and training, to effectively respond to and recover from disasters. It concludes with insights on becoming an expert in disaster management through continuous training and active involvement.

Takeaways

• 😷 A disaster is any event, natural or man-made, causing destruction that requires external assistance for relief.
• 🛠 Disaster management encompasses the organization of resources and responsibilities to handle emergencies, focusing on preparedness, response, and recovery.
• 🏥 The four stages of disaster management are prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
• 👩‍⚕️ Community health nurses play a crucial role in all stages, providing holistic care to affected populations.
• 🛡 Prevention and mitigation aim to reduce disaster risks and financial costs through awareness, education, and hazard vulnerability analysis.
• 📚 Preparedness involves planning and readiness, including personal preparedness plans and strategic emergency management plans for professional settings.
• 🚨 Response requires immediate action and coordination with public services, with nurses often involved in disaster triage using tools like the STAR method.
• 🏗 Recovery focuses on rebuilding communities, addressing physical, psychological, and financial losses, with government assistance as needed.
• 📈 Nurses can enhance their disaster management skills through training in first aid, field triage, advanced life support, and infection control.
• 💼 Active involvement in all stages of disaster management is key for nurses to improve their familiarity and understanding of roles and responsibilities.

Q & A

What is the definition of a disaster according to the video?

A disaster is any man-made or natural event that results in destruction and devastation that cannot be relieved without assistance. It does not need to cause injury or death to be considered a disaster.

What are the four stages of disaster management mentioned in the video?

The four stages of disaster management are prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

What is the role of community health nurses in disaster management?

Community health nurses are essential in all four stages of disaster management, focusing on providing a high level of holistic care to the populations affected or at risk of disaster.

How does prevention and mitigation help in disaster management?

Prevention and mitigation aim to minimize or eliminate risks of a disaster before they occur, reducing the financial costs of disaster response and recovery.

What is a hazard vulnerability analysis and why is it important?

A hazard vulnerability analysis is a systematic approach that identifies all hazards that may affect a community, determines the probability and consequences of the hazard, and analyzes the findings to determine what hazards are of priority. It is important for developing disaster plans.

What steps are involved in preparedness according to the video?

Steps in preparedness include disaster education, team planning, mock disaster events, having a personal preparedness plan, and developing a strategic emergency management plan.

What is the purpose of the national emergency response system?

The national emergency response system is created to facilitate coordination between local, provincial, territorial, and federal governments in a state of emergency, ensuring coherency of emergency response.

What does disaster triage involve and why is it important for nurses?

Disaster triage is the process of doing the greatest good for the greatest number of casualties. It is important for nurses to be prepared to care for an influx of patients with varying conditions during emergencies.

How can nurses become expert in disaster management?

Nurses can become expert in disaster management by having up-to-date training in first aid, field triage, advanced basic life support, and infection control, participating in practice drills, mock emergency scenarios, and being actively involved in all stages of disaster management.

What is the role of nurses during the recovery stage of disaster management?

During the recovery stage, nurses provide care, contribute to health surveillance, educate health professionals and the public, assess needs, allocate resources, evaluate response measures, and make decisions about limited resource allocation.

Outlines

00:00

🚑 Introduction to Disaster Management and the Nurse's Role

The video introduces Jaden Jankowski and Sierra Seeley, fourth-year nursing students from the University of Regina, who explain the concept of disaster management and the pivotal role of community health nurses within it. They define a disaster as any event, natural or man-made, that causes significant destruction requiring external assistance for relief. Disaster management encompasses the organization and operation of resources to handle emergencies, focusing on preparedness, response, and recovery. The four stages of disaster management are prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Community health nurses are crucial in providing holistic care throughout these stages, with a particular emphasis on prevention and mitigation, which aims to reduce the risk and impact of disasters through awareness, education, and hazard vulnerability analysis.

05:00

🛠 Disaster Preparedness and Response

This section delves into the preparedness stage, where nurses are encouraged to develop strategic emergency management plans, including command and control, communication systems, and legal bases for response. It also addresses the importance of personal preparedness for nurses, such as having an emergency plan and kit. The response stage is highlighted by the national emergency response system, which coordinates efforts between different levels of government. Nurses play a critical role in emergency response, particularly in disaster triage, using tools like the STAR method to prioritize care for mass casualties. The video also touches on the recovery stage, where the focus is on rebuilding communities post-disaster, with financial assistance and health surveillance. The Canadian Nurses Association's position on emergency preparedness and response is mentioned, outlining the nurse's role in recovery, including care provision, resource allocation, and response evaluation. The video concludes with advice for nurses to become experts in disaster management through training, drills, and active involvement in all stages.

Keywords

💡Disaster

A disaster, as defined in the video, is any man-made or natural event that results in destruction and devastation requiring external assistance for relief. This term is central to the video's theme as it sets the stage for discussing disaster management. The script mentions that disasters do not necessarily need to cause injury or death, emphasizing the broad scope of events that can be classified as disasters.

💡Disaster Management

Disaster management refers to the organization and operation of resources and responsibilities for handling all humanitarian aspects of emergencies, particularly in terms of preparedness, response, and recovery. It is a key concept in the video as it outlines the structured approach to dealing with disasters. The video emphasizes the importance of disaster management in reducing the devastation caused by disasters.

💡Prevention and Mitigation

Prevention and mitigation is the first stage of disaster management discussed in the video, aiming to minimize or eliminate the risks of a disaster before they occur. This concept is crucial as it helps in reducing the financial costs of disaster response and recovery. The video mentions that understanding the risks for disasters is essential for implementing effective activities to prevent or reduce their impact.

💡Community Health Nurse

A community health nurse plays a vital role in all stages of disaster management, providing holistic care to populations affected or at risk of disaster. The video highlights the nurse's role in advocating for safe environments, creating public awareness programs, and assessing environmental health hazards, which are all part of the prevention and mitigation stage.

💡Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA)

Hazard Vulnerability Analysis is a systematic approach mentioned in the video that identifies all hazards that may affect a community, determines their probability and consequences, and analyzes the findings to prioritize hazards. This concept is integral to the prevention and mitigation stage, as it helps in developing disaster plans that are tailored to the specific risks of a community.

💡Preparedness

Preparedness is the second stage of disaster management, which involves being ready to take action and manage a disaster if it occurs. The video underscores the importance of planning as a key component of preparedness, including having clear procedures and guidelines for before, during, and after disasters. Nurses are encouraged to have personal preparedness plans and to be leaders in professional preparedness.

💡Disaster Triage

Disaster triage is a process mentioned in the video that involves prioritizing care for the greatest number of casualties during emergencies. It is a critical concept in the response stage of disaster management, where nurses need to be prepared to care for an influx of patients with varying conditions. The STAR tool is introduced as a method for disaster triage, with each color representing a different level of severity and required care.

💡Recovery

Recovery is the final stage of disaster management, focusing on rebuilding the community to its pre-disaster condition. The video discusses the various forms of assistance needed during this stage, including physical, psychological, and financial support. It also references the role of the Canadian Nurses Association in outlining the nurse's role during recovery, which includes providing care, conducting health surveillance, and allocating resources.

💡Emergency Preparedness Training

Emergency preparedness training is discussed as a way for nurses to become experts in disaster management. The video suggests that nurses should have up-to-date training in first aid, field triage, advanced basic life support, and infection control. Such training is essential for nurses to effectively respond to emergencies and manage disasters, as it enhances their knowledge and skills in handling various disaster scenarios.

💡Mock Disaster Events

Mock disaster events are practice drills that nurses can participate in to ensure they know how to respond to an emergency. These events are highlighted in the video as a means to build nurses' working knowledge, confidence, and leadership abilities in managing clinical scenarios. Participating in simulated disaster exercises is crucial for maintaining and improving competency in disaster management.

Highlights

Disaster defined as any man-made or natural event causing destruction that requires external assistance for relief.

Disaster management encompasses preparedness, response, and recovery to reduce devastation.

Community health nurses play a crucial role in all stages of disaster management, focusing on holistic care.

Prevention and mitigation aim to reduce disaster risks and financial costs associated with disaster response.

Understanding disaster risks is essential for implementing effective prevention and mitigation activities.

Community health nurses can advocate for safe environments and create public awareness programs.

Hazard vulnerability analysis identifies potential community hazards and their consequences.

Disaster plans should be interdisciplinary, involving local authorities and services.

Preparedness involves having clear procedures and guidelines for managing disasters.

Nurses need personal preparedness plans to address personal responsibilities during emergencies.

Professional preparedness includes developing a strategic emergency management plan.

The national emergency response system coordinates efforts between different levels of government.

Nurses must be knowledgeable about the emergency and the disaster plan to respond effectively.

Disaster triage is crucial for managing an influx of patients with varying conditions.

The STAR tool is used for mass casualty events, categorizing patients based on severity.

Recovery focuses on rebuilding communities and addressing physical, psychological, and financial losses.

Public Safety Canada provides financial assistance for recovery when costs exceed provincial capabilities.

The Canadian Nurses Association outlines the role of nurses in recovery, including care provision and resource allocation.

Nurses can become experts in disaster management through training, drills, and active involvement in all stages.

Participation in simulated disaster exercises enhances nurses' knowledge, confidence, and leadership abilities.

Transcripts

hi

i am jaden jankoski and i am sierra

seeley

we are fourth year nursing students in

the saskatchewan collaborative bachelor

of science in nursing program at the

university of regina

the aim of this video is to teach you

about the four stages of disaster

management and the community health

nurses role throughout these stages

so what defines a disaster well a

disaster is any man-made or natural

event that results in destruction and

devastation that cannot be relieved

without assistance

it is key to note that the event does

not need to cause injury or death to be

considered a disaster

now that we know what defines a disaster

let's talk about disaster management

disaster management is the organization

and operation of resources and

responsibilities for handling all

humanitarian aspects of emergencies

especially regarding the preparedness

response and recovery

in order to decrease the devastation

created by these disasters

there are four stages within disaster

management

prevention and mitigation preparedness

response and recovery

the community health nurse is essential

in all four stages of disaster

management

the focus of the nurse is to provide a

high level of holistic care throughout

all of these stages to the populations

affected

or at risk of disaster the first stage

we will discuss is prevention and

mitigation

prevention and mitigation aims to

minimize or eliminate risks of a

disaster before they occur

this stage helps reduce the financial

costs of disaster response and recovery

understanding the risks for disasters is

crucial so that effective activities can

be implemented to prevent or reduce

their impact

mitigation activities include awareness

and education

and disaster prevention measures

community health nurses have the

opportunity to play a key role in

disaster prevention and mitigation

by advocating for safe environments

creating public awareness programs

and assessing slash reporting on

environmental health hazards

nurses should address disasters that are

likely to occur in their community

and perform a hazard vulnerability

analysis to determine the ones that may

arise in their facility from those

disasters

a hazard vulnerability analysis is a

systematic approach that identifies all

hazards that may affect a community

determines the probability of the hazard

determines the consequences of the

hazard

and analyzes the findings to determine

what hazards are of priority

the results of an hva can be used to

develop disaster plans

these plans should be designed using an

interdisciplinary approach and involve

local police

emergency and fire services

this leads us into the second stage

which is preparedness

this stage involves being ready to take

action and manage a disaster if it were

to happen

planning is a key component to being

prepared for an emergency situation

without clear procedures and guidelines

for before

during and after disasters it is

difficult for nurses to provide

high-quality care to affected

individuals

families and communities strategies used

to prepare

are disaster education

team planning and mock disaster events

nurses need to have a personal

preparedness plan in place in the case

that there is an emergency

challenge arises when they do not have

their own plan in place because they

have to attend to their personal

responsibilities before their

professional ones

steps to being prepared personally

include making a plan and sharing it

with your loved ones

build an emergency kit and ensuring it's

easily accessible

and being informed through alert

services

take a minute and pause this video to

consider what your current emergency

plan is at home

and if you don't have one take this time

to start thinking about developing one

nurses with their expertise and

experience with interdisciplinary

teamwork

and strong collaborative skills are the

ideal leaders in disaster preparedness

the first step in professional

preparedness is developing a strategic

emergency management plan

the processes involved in the management

plan include determine a command and

control plan

this involves choosing a command center

where the main information will be

distributed from

identify functional roles and

responsibilities ensure contact

information of emergency personnel is

available and all essential service

staff are defined

determine a communication system this

should be developed to address the

possibility of a system failure

confirm a legal basis for response to

include isolation strategies as needed

for infection control

a good example of this is the current

pandemic and the measures being taken in

our province with covid

develop an infectious disease plan this

includes isolation procedures

equipment availability and a

surveillance plan obtaining and

maintaining emergency facilities and

supplies

an example of this is the temporary

field hospitals that were built to take

the possible overflow of covet patients

and finally providing disaster

preparedness training for emergencies

donning slashed off in ppe

decontamination procedures

mock disaster situations and triaging

this brings us into the third stage of

disaster management which is the

response

emergencies are dealt with through

public services such as first responders

medical professionals in hospitals fire

departments

police and municipalities we then ask

for assistance provincially and

federally if the emergency escalates

beyond our local capabilities

the national emergency response system

was created to facilitate coordination

between local

provincial territorial and federal

governments in a state of emergency

the system identifies what each level of

government's job is during a disaster to

ensure coherency of emergency response

as a nurse the first step to response is

knowing what the emergency is and being

aware of the disaster plan

we need to gather information on the

incident in order to provide the best

informed care for our patients

a big job that nurses face during times

of emergency is disaster triage

disaster triage is the process of doing

the greatest good for the greatest

number of casualties

nurses need to be prepared to care for

an influx of patients who are highly

stressed and have varying conditions or

comorbidities

the star tool was designed for use in

the case of an event with mass

casualties and is used by a triage nurse

each color represents a different level

of severity and the required care that

goes along with it

this is a great time to pause your video

and review the details of the tool

the final stage in disaster management

is the recovery

in this stage all efforts are focused on

rebuilding the community to the

condition it was pre-disaster

the community may need assistance with

the physical psychological

and financial losses they had in the

result of the disaster

through the disaster financial

assistance arrangements public safety

canada will financially assist provinces

and territories when recovery costs

exceed what they can pay on their own

the canadian nurses association released

a position statement in 2018

on emergency preparedness and response

in this statement they outlined the role

of a nurse during the recovery stage

these rules include providing care

contributing to the capacity to conduct

health surveillance educating health

professionals

volunteers and the public assessing

needs and allocating resources

evaluating response measures and making

decisions about limited resource

allocation

now that we have gone over the stages of

disaster management and the nurses role

throughout these stages

how can we become expert nurses in

disaster management

nurses can have up-to-date first aid

field triage

advanced basic life support and

infection control training

they can also partake in practice drills

and mock emergency scenarios to ensure

they know how to respond to an emergency

by participating in simulated disaster

exercises

nurses build on their working knowledge

confidence

sense of self-efficacy and their

perceived abilities relating to

leadership when managing clinical

scenarios

it is important to participate in these

often so that the competency is not lost

lastly it is essential to be actively

involved in all stages to improve

familiarity and have a better

understanding of roles and

responsibilities during a disaster

now that you have viewed this video you

should be able to

define a disaster and disaster

management identify the four stages of

disaster management

differentiate the nurse's role between

the stages of disaster

and demonstrate expert nurse skills in

disaster management within your current

role

if you would like to test your knowledge

on the contents of this video

type this link into your search bar

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