1. Disaster Preparedness
Ranson Thomas
Santa Fe College 2014

2. Disasters
“Disasters are subjective phenomena. They arise from the behavior of complex systems, are perceived and take place in a specific socio-economic, historical, cultural and chronological context.” - (Horlick-Jones and Peters, 1991)

3. Disasters Hurricane Flood Earthquake Tornado Military attacks
Epidemics
Nuclear

4. Disaster Management What kind of disaster
Community specific needs and challenges
What resources are available and how do we use them as efficiently as possible
Involved government agencies

5. Disaster Cycle
Vancouver Island Health Authority (2013)

6. Mental Health
(Center for Disease Control, 2012)

7. Psychological Support
Short Term:
Provide for basic physiological needs (Remember Maslow)
Reconnect friends and family
Long Term:
Therapy sessions
Support groups

8. Prepare Yourself Be ready to work
All healthcare professionals may be called to aid with management/relief
Make preparations beforehand for children, pets, etc.
You may not be able to leave once you’re at work
Know your facilities policies and procedures

9. Triage
Triage is the process of sorting casualties in the event of a disaster (Allender, Rector, Warner, 2010)

10. Surveillance Nurses collect data on the patients they see
This data aids in identifying trends and issues affecting their specific communities’ health needs
Passive- gathered from medical records
Active- prospective steps to find the affected/at-risk

11. Triage the following patients based on who you will assess first:
1. 34 year old with a fever and RLQ abdominal pain of 7/ year old with a shortened, externally rotated right leg and absent pedal pulse year old complaining of chest pain radiating to her left side year old with multiple facial fractures who is unconscious

12. Triage the following patients based on who you will assess first:
1. 34 year old who presented with RLQ abdominal pain of 9/10 but now says is pain free
2. 47 year old with a shortened, externally rotated right leg
3. 65 year old complaining of left chest pain only when she inhales
4. 24 year old with multiple facial lacerations who is unconscious

13. Exercise
You’re the most experienced nurse in the ER at a hospital in a small town on the Gulf Coast of Florida. A hurricane is predicted to strike the area within the next hours.
What preparatory measures will you take personally and professionally?
Once the hurricane lands, what kind of patients will you expect? What roles will you anticipate filling? What challenges will you face?
What long term challenges will you anticipate?

14. QUESTIONS?

15. References
Allender, J., Rector, C., Warner, K. (2010). Community Health Nursing: Promoting and Protecting the Public’s Health. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, PA.
Center for Disease Control, (2012). Disaster Mental Health Primer: Key Principles, Issues and Questions. Retrieved from
Horlick-Jones, T., Geoff P., (1991). Measuring disaster trends part one: Some observations on the bradford scale. Disaster Management, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp
Vancouver Island Health Authority, (2013). Emergency Management Cycle. Retrieved from