Disaster Preparedness Essay

A fortuity is generally defined as an essence in which illness or injuries surpass resource capabilities of a community or medical facility (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2010). Disaster readying is a process of ensuring that an plaque has complied with the preventive measures and is in a reconcile of readiness to contain the effects of a predicted disastrous event to downplay loss of life, injury, and damage to property.see moreessay on catastrophe management in englishDisaster facility rat alike provide rescue, relief, rehabilitation, and opposite services in the subsequentlymath of the misfortune, as closely as let the capability and resources to continue to sustain its essential functions without universe e preciseplacewhelmed by the demand placed on them. The American Nursing connectedness is answering to ensure that disaster preparedness and response is robust in this country to be panorama-to-facely and professionally prepared for a disaster. being in a prepa red profession can help cut and help the communities recover from disaster founder, faster and stronger (Brewer, 2010).According to the Maricopa Integrated wellness body (MIHS) at Maricopa medical checkup mall, they have a specialized disaster preparedness contrive to fit their current take tercet hazards. Maricopa checkup nucleus conducts a Hazard Vulnerability Assessment (HVA) annually. The current top three hazards K. F. , Manager of Fire Safety and Disaster Preparedness, at Maricopa aesculapian Center has identify hold the great unwashed Causality misfortunes (trauma, burns, pandemic, etc. ), handsome Casualty Hazardous Materials Response (less than five patients), and Severe Weather casualtys (monsoonal performance, thunderstorms, and haboobs).This face has a comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan that addresses the top three current hazards in the validations region. Maricopa Medical Center is withal further developing their business continuity and recover y jut outs into stand-alone forges (K. F. , individualized interview, February 13, 2012). In order to evaluate and determine the impellingness of the disaster preparedness picture, Maricopa Medical Center annually conducts a minimum of deuce operational turns, in addition to various discussion based exercises. The organizations exercises follow the Homeland SecurityExercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP), which includes an after action report process with an improvement plan and tonic action plan sections. According to the Agency for Health help Research and Quality, many studies have showed that disaster drills have been an effective way to improve provides knowledge of infirmary disaster procedures (Catlett, 2004). Additionally, exercise objectives are developed in such a way to exercise pieces of the plan that have been identified as opportunities for repeated improvement and/or grant deliverables.Once opportunities for improvement of the disaster plan are identified, these improvements are remedied by being given corrective actions with proper(postnominal) time frames and the precondition is reported to senior management. Some recent corrective actions that have occurred within recent years include the development of position-specific culture to further build comfort for those that are activated in the hospital Command Center, plan changes regarding Casualty Care Areas during a response to a Mass Casualty Incident, and Standard Operating Procedure enhancement for the hospital Emergency Response Team (K. F. ad hominem interview, February 13, 2012).The facsimile that is present on the disaster preparedness committee for Maricopa Medical Center does not include nursing management. The emergency management committee includes a cross-sectional representation from the entire health system. This includes Acute Care, Behavioral Health, Ancillary Services, and Outpatient Services. K. F. , stated, Bedside nursing has been exceedingly instrumental withi n the various task groups that focus on plan changes. In fact, the task groups associated with Casualty Care, Fatality Management, and HERT development are chaired by bedside nursing mental faculty.There is also a Steering Committee for management that includes the headland Operating Officer, point Medical Officer, Chief Information Officer, Chief Compliance Officer and the Vice President of hospital Operations (K. F. , personal interview, February 13, 2012). The established relationships that are within the community to help implement the organizations disaster preparedness plan are that K. F. is currently the Chair-Elect for the Az Coalition for Healthcare Emergency Response (AzCHER-Central), which brings hospitals, clinics, skilled nursing acilities, fervidness & Emergency Medical Services (EMS), public health, emergency management, and other community stakeholders together for planning. Maricopa Medical Center currently has three to quaternary members on the general bo dy of this group, including bedside nursing representatives. There are a number of governmental agencies that are involved in the organizations disaster preparedness planning. K. F. is an active member with Coyote Crisis Collaborative, which includes some of those from AzCHER, exclusively also universities and community colleges, utilities, private business, faith-based and other volunteer groups, etc.The Chief Information Officer is currently the Chairman of the Board for Coyote Crisis Collaborative. Additionally, they get in in the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) Grant which is administered by azimuth Department of Health Services. All of these opportunities provide environments for collaboration, plan sharing, and developing solutions to issues that face all of those included (K. F. , personal interview, February 13, 2012). In order to implement this plan, staff has received adequate training.The National Incident Management System and Incident Command System training is r equired for all identified Hospital Command Center staff. They have a 3-Deep list for all identified positions. Required training includes Incident System-100, Incident System-200, Incident System-700, and Incident System-800 as a minimum. Incident System-300 and Incident System-400 are required for section chiefs and mishap commanders. An overview of the Hospital Incident Command System is shared with all employees at New Employee Orientation.The Hospital Emergency Response Team (HERT) members receive superfluous Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) training within the HERT flesh and must take Incident System-100, Incident System-200, and Incident System-800 as pre-requisites for HERT. At Maricopa Medical Center, HERT training is now the standard for the Emergency Department freshman residents during their orientation process. K. Fehr stated, Additionally, position-specific training has been identified in a recent exercise as an opportunity for improvement. That training has been developed and is scheduled to be administered over the next 90 days (K. F. personal interview, February 13, 2012). Maricopa Medical Center has an change system for the Hospital Command Center that is based upon Hospital Incident Command System IV. This system allows for virtual command and has the ability to saddle status updates, as well as provide real-time status to the HCC Team. They have also just been given access to a Mass Notification program from Arizona Department of Health Services that can be used internally to ensure that communication during incidents is sent to every employee. HICS IV is the current model that is used, which is National Incident Management System compliant (K. F. , personal interview, February 13, 2012).The standards that nurses are held to concerning their ethical obligations to their organization and community would be handled by the Incident Commander with guidance of wither a jural Specialist or Medical Ethicist. Any issues that are s pecific to standards of care would be approved by the Incident Commander and forwarded to the staff during the event based upon available resources, etc. If the question is specific as to the nurses affair to respond to work during a disaster, they do not require them to respond. They desire that they would stay or be willing to come in.The planning includes the set-up of electric razor/elder care areas and sleeping areas for the staff to remove barriers that would take them onward from their station. Planning does include the idea that at least 40 % of the staff will not remain or come in during an incident. Maricopa Medical Center has a Memorandum of Understanding and a Memorandum of understanding with other regional hospitals and formal request processes at the county and state levels for additional staff. When asked whether staff buy-in was a coveted aspect in Maricopa Medical Centers disaster plan, K. F. tates, Staff is absolutely buy-in coveted for this organizations dis aster preparedness plan.The best method that we have found for pursuit includes the expansion of the HERT Program, covering the program during Health Fairs and Nursing Skills Fairs, and involving staff in exercises as mock patients (K. F. , personal interview, February 13, 2012). After my interview with K. F. , I was sincerely intrigued into what all goes on with a disaster preparedness plan. I knew that disaster plans were in effect for many organizations, but I did not greet the actual extent of what goes n with the planning of it. I learned a lot through the interview and was very pleased with the information that I received about Maricopa Medical Center and their disaster preparedness plan.I feel that what is involved in their plan is very relevant to the stance of the organization, as well as how they every year they have two operational exercises, as well as discussion based exercises, to help test their plan and determine its effectiveness. I think this is a very importan t aspect to any organization because without testing the plan, it is unclear how effective it really it.After these annual exercises, I think it is great that the organization has an after report with ideas for improvement to help make their disaster plan stronger and more effective. All in all, I believe that Maricopa Medical Center has a very effective and sufficient disaster preparedness plan for their organization and that they are consistently looking for areas of where they can improve and better their plan to help the community recover from disaster as it occurs (K. F. , personal interview, February 13, 2012).