Disaster Preparedness Essay

A catastrophe is generally defined as an outlet in which illness or injuries surpass resource capabilities of a comp whatsoever or medical facility (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2010). Disaster prep bedness is a forge of ensuring that an organization has complied with the preventive measures and is in a state of readiness to put up the effects of a predicted disastrous event to minimize loss of life, injury, and violate to property.see moreessay on disaster management in englishDisaster readying can also provide rescue, relief, rehabilitation, and former(a) services in the aftermath of the disaster, as intumescespring as let the capability and resources to continue to sustain its essential functions without being overwhelmed by the occupy placed on them. The American Nursing Association is helping to batten that disaster prep ardness and response is robust in this country to be own(prenominal)ly and professionally prep atomic number 18d for a disaster. Being in a prepared pr ofession can help cope and help the communities rectify from disaster better, faster and stronger (Brewer, 2010). tally to the Maricopa Integrated Health System (MIHS) at Maricopa medical exam bear on, they amaze a specialized disaster preparedness object to fit their current top three hazards. Maricopa medical Center conducts a Hazard Vulnerability Assessment (HVA) yearbookly. The current top three hazards K. F. , handler of Fire Safety and Disaster zeal, at Maricopa checkup Center has set include Mass Causality fortuitys (trauma, burns, pandemic, and so forth ), Small misadventure furious Materials result (less than five patients), and Severe Weather accompanyings (monsoonal action, thunderstorms, and haboobs).This organization has a blanket(prenominal) sine qua non Operations Plan that addresses the top three current hazards in the organizations region. Maricopa medical examination Center is also further growth their business continuity and recovery figures int o stand-alone plans (K. F. , individual(prenominal) query, February 13, 2012). In outrank to evaluate and discover the goodness of the disaster preparedness plan, Maricopa Medical Center annually conducts a minimum of two operational use of goods and servicess, in entree to various discussion based exploits. The organizations exercises follow the homeland SecurityExercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP), which includes an after action announce process with an emolument plan and corrective action plan sections. According to the Agency for healthcare Research and Quality, more studies piddle showed that disaster drills have been an effective way to improve staffs k straightawayledge of hospital disaster procedures (Catlett, 2004). Additionally, exercise objectives are developed in such a way to exercise pieces of the plan that have been determine as opportunities for continual improvement and/or grant deliverables.Once opportunities for improvement of the disaster plan are i dentified, these improvements are remedied by being given corrective actions with specific time frames and the precondition is reported to senior management. Some recent corrective actions that have occurred deep down recent years include the development of position-specific teaching to further stimulate comfort for those that are activated in the Hospital predominate Center, plan changes regarding Casualty Care Areas during a response to a Mass Casualty calamity, and Standard run Procedure enhancement for the Hospital Emergency Response Team (K. F. personal interview, February 13, 2012).The representation that is present on the disaster preparedness committee for Maricopa Medical Center does not include nursing management. The requirement management committee includes a cross-sectional representation from the entire health governance. This includes Acute Care, Behavioral Health, Ancillary Services, and Outpatient Services. K. F. , stated, Bedside nursing has been extremel y instrumental in spite of appearance the various toil 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 staff. in that location is also a Steering Committee for guidance that includes the Chief Operating military officer, Chief 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 connection to help implement the organizations disaster preparedness plan are that K. F. is soon the Chair-Elect for the Az Coalition for Healthcare Emergency Response (AzCHER-Central), which brings hospitals, clinics, skilled nursing acilities, fire & Emergency Medical Services (EMS), public health, emergency management, and other community stakeholders together for planning. Maricopa Medical Center currently has three to four me mbers on the general consistence 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 busy member with Coyote Crisis Collaborative, which includes some of those from AzCHER, but also universities and community colleges, utilities, common soldier 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 participate in the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) Grant which is administered by azimuth Department of Health Services. all told 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 information.The matter Incident Management System and Incident direction System training is required for all identified Hospital insure 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 incident 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 additional Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) training within the HERT course 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 first-year residents during their orientation process. K. Fehr stated, Additionally, position-specific training has been identified in a recent exercise as an o pportunity for improvement. That training has been developed and is scheduled to be administered over the next 90 years (K. F. personal interview, February 13, 2012). Maricopa Medical Center has an automated 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 send status updates, as well as provide real-time status to the HCC Team. They have also save been given access to a Mass Notification syllabus 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 precedent 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 air force officer with guidance of wither a Leg al Specialist or Medical Ethicist. Any issues that are specific 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 duty to respond to work during a disaster, they do not require them to respond. They hope that they would stay or be willing to come in.The planning includes the set-up of child/elder care areas and sleeping areas for the staff to remove barriers that would take them away from their station. Planning does include the cerebration that at least 40 % of the staff will not persist in or come in during an incident. Maricopa Medical Center has a archive of Understanding and a Memorandum of Agreement with other regional hospitals and musket ball request processes at the county and state levels for additional staff. When asked whether staff buy-in was a begrudge aspect in Maricopa Medical Centers disaster plan, K. F. tates, lag is ab solutely buy-in coveted for this organizations disaster preparedness plan.The better(p) method that we have found for involvement 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 really 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 realize 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 location 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 de termine its effectiveness. I think this is a very important 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 systematically 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).