When disaster strikes.......

When I was thinking of a topic that interests me, I started thinking of how prepared we are as nurses for crisis situations. Within the walls if the ICU, the nurses are trained to respond to medical crisis often. The ER nurses are the front line too all things disasterious that may come. But what is the whole community needed our care? I think of 9-11 and Hurricane Katrina and realize that there is no way I would have known what to do. So I am going to use this assignment to my advantage to showcase some emergency preparedness websites that will be a great resource to everyone.



There are many elements that could create an emergency that could expose a nurse to a situation that if not prepared, may not know what to do. Hazardous material incident, multi-causualty incident, biological warfare, or terriosm. Nursing staff on all levels should have some form of Hazmat training according to Homeland Security and The American Recovery & Re-investmant Act on an annual basis. This does not mean you have to be an expert, however, you should be able to recognize what a hazardous material incident is and respond appropriately within the limitations of your education.



In the event of a terrorist act upon our local region would you know what is expected of you as a lisenced proffessional? Have you been educated on the command system that would need to be implemented call the Incident Command System? Many of these things have been taught to us but they have been once and a long time ago. My hopes is to give you a place to go that allows you to explore your resources of education for emergency preparedness for you and your patients.



Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Emergency Preparedness and Response

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/

An interactive website and research database that provides resources on many aspects of emergency preparedness. Educational links to specific hazards such as bioterrorism, mass casualty and outbreaks are available. Also, a quick resource that is up to date and contains the most recent research.



Department of Homeland Security

Preparedness, Response & Recovery

www.dhs.gov/files/prepresprecovery.shtm

This is a comprehensive site that provides access to education, training and regulation information. This site also provides activities to increase emergency preparedness for you and your family members. There are multiple links to sites they maybe helpful in your emergency preparedness journey.



Missouri Division of Professional Registration

Board of Nursing

http://pr.mo.gov/nursing.asp

In the event you want to look up the responsibilites that come with having a Missouri Nursing Lisence this site is the best resource. It also provides contact information and up to date regulation information. In the event that you are interested in helping other Missourians in their times of crisis, there is a link to Show-Me Response (http://pr.mo.gov/boards/Show-MeResponse.pdf) An innitative to have a group of medical professionals within our state that would be willing to volunteer if needed.



U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Federal Public Health and Medical Emergency Preparedness

www.hhs.gov/disasters/discussion/planners/medicalemergencypreparedness.html

This is a site that provides education on the National Response Framework and the National Incident Management System. The National Response Framework is a federally mandated system that incorporates the National Incident Management System. The National Incident Management System is a framework to coordinate services that are mutli-departmental.



U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

Hazmat Safety Community

www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat

A governmental site designed to provide multiple resources for anything related to hazardous material. Multiple links are provided in order to help you find the information you seek easily. This site also provides data and statistics related to Hazmat incidents. (Cool information)



Wikipedia

Emergency Management

http://en.wikipedia/wiki/Emergency_preparedness

Provides a comprehensive definition and multiple links to additional databases and resources providing further education.