Posted: December 3rd, 2022

Assignment 2: Disaster Planning for Public Health

Assignment 2: Disaster Planning for Public Health
DUE DATE: NOV. 6

Select a potential natural or man-made disaster that could happen in your community. Then, write a 3-page paper about the disaster from the community nurse’s perspective.
Section 1: The Disaster, Man-Made or Natural
• What disasters may strike your community and why? For example, do you live in “Tornado Alley,” or has climate change resulted in unusual cold weather snaps or blizzards in your community? Are you located in a flood plain? Include possible diseases that may result from a natural disaster, such as tetanus or cholera.
Section 2: The Nursing Response
• Formulate responses to the disaster, considering systems and community levels of intervention.
• Review websites where a disaster plan may be available for the public, or if one is not currently available, call public health department to see if a disaster plan exists for your community and what the plan contains.
o In addition to reviewing websites for information about your local disaster plan, you will need to locate best practice/evidence-based practice guidelines in professional literature to determine whether your community’s disaster plan is as sound as it might be or if there is room for improvement.
Section 3: Is My Community Prepared for a Disaster?
• What conclusions can you draw about your community’s preparedness plan from having completed this Assessment?

Rubric Detail
• Described a potential local natural or man-made disaster.
• Considered system level responses to the disaster including nursing role with information from a local expert or Assessment of the local website.
• Evaluated community preparedness for the disaster.
• Offered conclusions about the community’s preparedness plan.

Required Readings
Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2020). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (10th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.
• Chapter 10, “Evidence-Based Practice” (pp. 218-230)
• Chapter 21, “Public Health Nursing Practice and the Disaster Management Cycle” (pp. 454-480)
• Chapter 22, “Public Health Surveillance and Outbreak Investigation” (pp. 481-497)
• Chapter 23, “Program Management” (pp. 498-520)

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Disaster Planning for Public Health

Disaster Planning for Public Health
Introduction
Tornado alleys are a common experience in Central Texas. Flooding rain and tornados increase the risk of transmission of diseases. Nurses are responsible for responding to the crisis to mitigate the negative effects of the disaster (Choi & Wehde, 2020). The intervention is essential due to the health risks the people are exposed to during the disaster. The purpose of the essay is to examine the disaster planning for public health in Central Texas.
Disaster
Tornado alleys are natural disasters that occur in my community. Central Texas is one of the regions most affected by regular tornado alleys. The natural disaster has long-term health effects on the community (Choi & Wehde, 2020). One of the effects is the contamination of soil and water sources. Flooding rain and tornados increase the risk of transmission of diseases. The tornados destroy the supply of clean water and water sources to the affected areas (Choi & Wehde, 2020). It destroys roads, power lines, and health facilities. The affected areas can go for weeks without clean water, power, and access to medical services. People who seek refuge in crowded schools and recreational centers are at risk of infections (Labrague et al., 2018). One of the infections is cholera due to poor sanitation and lack of access to medical services. The condition affects children, the elderly, and people with weak immune systems. During the tornado alleys, people prioritize their safety over their health conditions, leading to disease transmission.
Nursing Response
Nurses have a responsibility to respond to natural disasters. The intervention is essential due to the health risks the people are exposed to during the disaster (Labrague et al., 2018). One of the approaches is to collaborate with the health agencies in the area to allocate and set up the refuge areas. The preparation is essential to ensure the place is safe from disease transmission (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2020). The health care workers should ensure they observe the sanitation standards to prevent infection. Nurses have a responsibility to take center stage when a disaster strikes. It involves treating sick people, especially vulnerable people (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2020). Some of the vulnerable populations include the elderly and people with other health complications.
Nurses have a responsibility to provide direct care to the patients. The direct care involved first aid, tests, prescribing medication, and follow up care. Another critical responsibility is to assess patients’ mental health conditions and overcome the situation (Thomas & Thomas, 2018). The nurses should collaborate with other professionals such as psychotherapists to provide holistic care to all patients (Thomas & Thomas, 2018). All the response measures should comprise a collaboration with the local, state, and federal health departments.
The CDC website outlines the measures that the public should take before, during, and after a tornado. It outlines the measures individuals and communities should take to avoid negative outcomes (CDC, 2020). The disaster plan starts with an identification of the signs of a tornado. It helps people to know the measures they should take, including people with special needs. For example, in preparing for a tornado, people should write down important phone numbers, addresses, and essential companies (CDC, 2020). The public should also practice the emergency plan to ensure a better response when the disaster occurs.
Evidence-based practice shows disaster preparedness includes four stages, including mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery, and hazard analysis. The steps are critical in preparing and responding to tornados (Park & Kim, 2017). For example, communities should attempt to mitigate the impact and prepare adequately. Nurses can contribute to the mitigation plans of ensuring the healthcare facilities are not adversely affected by the tornados. One of the responses is to ensure hospital data safety, including backup, patient records, medical equipment, and drugs (Park & Kim, 2017). The nurses should be at the forefront of promptly responding to the issue to avoid deaths or health complications of people trapped in houses or under crashed vehicles. The community plan requires significant improvement to empower the nurses are adequately respond to the crisis (Park & Kim, 2017). In 2020 when the disaster occurred, some people died, and others remained without basic requirements such as access to care, water, and power. The improvements are necessary to boost the preparedness and response.
Community Preparedness
The community is not efficiently prepared for the tornado. One of the factors showing the lack of preparedness is the tornado’s impact on issues the community could have prevented. For example, the community does not follow the CDC guidelines to evacuate on time or move to safe places. Others are found outside their homes when the tornado hits. Another weakness of community preparedness is the failure to keep essential numbers to call during an emergency (Amberson et al., 2020). The weaknesses expose the community to the adverse effects of the tornado alley.
Conclusion
Tornados affect communities by causing negative health outcomes. It leads to contamination of water and soil, causing diseases such as cholera. Destruction of healthcare infrastructure exposes the public to diseases. Nurses are responsible for providing direct care to the patients and observing high sanitation standards to avert infections.

References
Amberson, T., Wells, C., & Gossman, S. (2020). Increasing disaster preparedness in emergency nurses: a quality improvement initiative. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 46(5), 654-665. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jen.2020.05.001
CDC. (2020). Preparing for a Tornado: Being Prepared (Part 1). Center for Disease Control. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/tornadoes/prepared.html
Choi, J., & Wehde, W. (2020). Trust in emergency management authorities and individual emergency preparedness for tornadoes. Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy, 11(1), 12-34.
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. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12369
Park, H. Y., & Kim, J. S. (2017). Factors influencing disaster nursing core competencies of emergency nurses. Applied Nursing Research, 37, 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2017.06.004
Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2020). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (10th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.
Thomas, K. A., & Thomas, M. B. (2018). The Texas Board of Nursing Responds to Disaster. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 9(2), 41-46. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2155-8256(18)30116-9

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