Integrating Disaster Preparedness Into a Community Health Nursing Course: One School's Experience

Abstract

It is not practical to wait for a disaster, whether natural or human-made, to learn how to respond and provide specialized care. The Long Island University School of Nursing in Brooklyn, New York, has developed a specific educational experience for undergraduate nursing students enrolled in community health. The course is offered in the senior semester and includes didactic material based on the International Nursing Coalition for Mass Casualty Education-recommended competencies. Students are given the opportunity to apply the learning and develop additional skills by participating in a mock drill. Although anecdotal comments from the students indicate that the coursework has been helpful, additional research is planned to evaluate the program.

Jordanian nurses’ perceptions of their preparedness for disaster management

“…Experience is considered as the basis of preparedness for core competencies (Stanley, 2005). Ireland et al (2006) indicated that experiences in the clinical field help in preparing nurses to respond in disaster situations. Moreover, Suserud and Haljamae (1997) found experienced RNs had more ability to provide care in emergency situations than less experienced RNs.…”

An exploration of perceptions of disaster nursing and disaster preparedness among Australian nursing undergraduates

“…compassion, adaptability, critical thinking and organizational ability), and possess a comprehensive range of clinical skills and knowledge across domains of acute care, public health, advocacy, community resources and mental health. There is evidence in the literature that registered nurses hold similar notions of the roles and responsibilities of disaster nurses to those held by participants in this research (Al Khalaileh, Bond, & Alasad, 2012;American Nurses Association, 2008;Arbon, Bobrowski, Zeit, Hooper, Williams, & Thitchener, 2006;Fung, Loke, & Lai, 2008;Ireland, Ea, Kontzamanis, & Michel, 2006;JenningsSanders et al, 2005;Nasrabadi, Naji, Mirzabeigi, & Dadbakhs, 2007;Slepski, 2007;Tichy, Bond, Beckstrand, & Heise, 2009;Tillman, 2011;Usher, 2010;Yang, Xiao, Cheng, Zhu, & Arbon, 2010). Conversely, the literature reporting on nursing undergraduates found that few respondents identified clinical roles for disaster nurses, a finding at odds with those of this study (Jennings-Sanders et al, 2005).…”

Evaluation of a Collaborative Project in Disaster Preparedness

“…6 This curriculum takes approximately 8 hours to complete and includes streaming video and audio. Topics in the curriculum include basic principles that need to be considered when responding to a disaster, personal preparedness, the nurse's role in responding to a disaster, core competencies, and information about responding to radiological, nuclear, and biological events.…”

“…4 It is suggested that multiple teaching modalities, including Web-based training modules and hands-on practice, are the most effective modalities in delivering disaster preparedness content to students. 5 Over the last several years, nursing schools have been moving to include hands-on training experiences for nursing students into their undergraduate curriculum including participation in mock drills 6 and use of simulation. 7…”