Potential Disasters for the Nursing Community
The nursing community, which is in Miami, can be exposed to some natural disasters caused by the natural features of this location. Hurricanes in this part of the continent can lead to mass casualties, as well as heatwaves, tornadoes, and floods. According to Rokkas, Cornell, and Steenkamp (2014), some disasters and, as a result, victims among the population can be prevented through competent training. In particular, a flood caused by heavy rainfall can cause minimal damage if people are prepared for it in time. Constant weather reports, as a rule, inform about approaching thunderstorms and showers. In order to minimize injuries and destruction, nurses can evacuate people from potentially dangerous areas in advance, providing them with temporary protection. In this case, the disaster is unlikely to take human lives and leave behind a mass of casualties.
Stages of Disaster Management
In order to protect themselves and others from the potential threat coming from natural disasters, it is essential to prepare in stages for possible danger. Othman, Beydoun, and Sugumaran (2014) offer to use a special metamodelling process for disaster management. As the author’s remark, this method includes seven steps (Othman et al., 2014):
- “Identifying models by using Model Importance Factor” (Othman et al., 2014, p. 236),
- The choice of general concepts in the models found,
- Identifying a list with short definitions,
- A possible reconciliation of definitions,
- “Mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery” (Othman et al., 2014, p. 237),
- Search for relationships in the provisions of the four specified concepts,
- The validation of a metamodel received.
Such an algorithm can allow finding the best way to solve an impending problem in the form of a particular disaster. In some cases, points can be removed or exchanged. It is important to stick to the general idea of preparedness and take a responsible attitude towards it.
Role and Responsibilities of Nurses in Relation to Disasters
Increased requirements for the professional training of community nurses in the system of protecting the population from disasters are due to the specificity of their tasks and some attendant factors. According to Labrague et al. (2018), junior medical specialists working in extreme situations are entrusted with great responsibility and solving multifaceted tasks. All their actions should be immediate. Skills that are required for this work include the willingness to make optimal decisions, properly placed priorities, the development of a behavioral response model, and some other useful attainments. In addition, the preservation of mental stability under the influence of stress factors is an important quality of an experienced employee. Nurses need to conduct training exercises aimed at providing first aid and working with professional equipment.
Emergency Preparedness Education
The article by Adams, Canclini, and Frable (2015) reviews the activities of nurses in case of anthropogenic and natural disasters and mentions actions that need to be taken by medical professionals. According to the literary review conducted by the authors, many nursing schools provide training aimed at sharpening behavioral skills in case of disasters (Adams et al., 2015). As a possible algorithm, a specific design is proposed that includes such processes as development, planning, implementation, and evaluation (Adams et al., 2015). In conclusion, it is stated that the authors’ project is “consistent with cross-professional core competencies for disaster medicine and public health preparedness” (Adams et al., 2015, p. 61). This outcome corresponds with the stated goal of the study.
References
Adams, L. M., Canclini, S. B., & Frable, P. J. (2015). “Skip the infection, get the injection”: A case study in emergency preparedness education. Nurse Education in Practice, 15(1), 58-62.
Labrague, L. J., Hammad, K., Gloe, D. S., McEnroe-Petitte, D. M., Fronda, D. C., Obeidat, A. A.,… Mirafuentes, E. C. (2018). Disaster preparedness among nurses: A systematic review of literature. International Nursing Review, 65(1), 41-53.
Othman, S. H., Beydoun, G., & Sugumaran, V. (2014). Development and validation of a Disaster Management Metamodel (DMM). Information Processing & Management, 50(2), 235-271.
Rokkas, P., Cornell, V., & Steenkamp, M. (2014). Disaster preparedness and response: Challenges for Australian public health nurses – A literature review. Nursing & Health Sciences, 16(1), 60-66.