Using Professional Organizations to Prepare the Behavioral Health Workforce to Respond to the Needs of Pediatric Populations Impacted by Health-Related Disasters: Guiding Principles and Challenges

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 642-649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ginny Sprang ◽  
Miriam Silman

ABSTRACTBehavioral health professional organizations are in the unique role of aggregating and disseminating information to their membership before, during, and after health-related disasters to promote the integration of behavioral health services into the public health disaster response plan. This article provides a set of 5 principles to direct this undertaking that are based on the current literature and previous evaluation of the online guidance provided by 6 prominent behavioral health professional organizations. These principles use a strengths-based approach to prioritize resilience; underscore the importance of context, collaboration, and coordination; recognize the unique needs of pediatric populations; and guide ongoing training and content development in the area of biopsychosocial responses to health-related disasters. Recognizing important innovations and strides made by the behavioral health organizations noted in a previous study, this article recommends additional areas in which behavioral health professional organizations can contribute to overall pandemic disaster preparedness and response efforts. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:642–649)

2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 387-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine Daily ◽  
Patricia Padjen ◽  
Marvin Birnbaum

AbstractIntroduction:In order to prepare the healthcare system and healthcare personnel to meet the health needs of populations affected by disasters, educational programs have been developed by numerous academic institutions, hospitals, professional organizations, governments, and non-government organizations. Lacking standards for best practices as a foundation, many organizations and institutions have developed “core competencies” that they consider essential knowledge and skills for disaster healthcare personnel.Problem:The Nursing Section of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM) considered the possibility of endorsing an existing set of competencies that could be used to prepare nurses universally to participate in disaster health activities. This study was undertaken for the purpose of reviewing published disaster health competencies to determine commonalities and universal applicability for disaster preparedness.Methods:In 2007, a review of the electronic literature databases was conducted using the major keywords: disaster response competencies; disaster preparedness competencies; emergency response competencies; disaster planning competencies; emergency planning competencies; public health emergency preparedness competencies; disaster nursing competencies; and disaster nursing education competencies. A manual search of references and selected literature from public and private sources also was conducted. Inclusion criteria included: English language; competencies listed or specifically referred to; competencies relevant to disaster, mass-casualty incident (MCI), or public health emergency; and competencies relevant to healthcare.Results:Eighty-six articles were identified; 20 articles failed to meet the initial inclusion criteria; 27 articles did not meet the additional criteria, leaving 39 articles for analysis. Twenty-eight articles described competencies targeted to a specific profession/discipline, while 10 articles described competencies targeted to a defined role or function during a disaster. Four of the articles described specific competencies according to skill level, rather than to a specific role or function. One article defined competencies according to specific roles as well as proficiency levels. Two articles categorized disaster nursing competencies according to the phases of the disaster management continuum. Fourteen articles described specified competencies as “core” competencies for various target groups, while one article described “cross-cutting” competencies applicable to all healthcare workers.Conclusions:Hundreds of competencies for disaster healthcare personnel have been developed and endorsed by governmental and professional organizations and societies. Imprecise and inconsistent terminology and structure are evident throughout the reviewed competency sets. Universal acceptance and application of these competencies are lacking and none have been validated. Further efforts must be directed to developing a framework and standardized terminology for the articulation of competency sets for disaster health professionals that can by accepted and adapted universally.


2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 218-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne L. Dunlop ◽  
Kristi M. Logue ◽  
Gerald Beltran ◽  
Alexander P. Isakov

ABSTRACTObjective: To describe the role of academic institutions in the community response to Federal Emergency Management Agency–declared disasters from September 11, 2001, to February 1, 2009.Methods: We conducted a review of the published literature and Internet reports to identify academic institutions that participated in the community response to disaster events between September 11, 2001, to February 1, 2009, inclusive. From retrieved reports, we abstracted the identity of the academic institutions and the resources and services each provided. We characterized the resources and services in terms of their contribution to established constructs of community disaster resilience and disaster preparedness and response.Results: Between September 11, 2001, and February 1, 2009, there were 98 published or Internet-accessible reports describing 106 instances in which academic institutions participated in the community response to 11 Federal Emergency Management Agency–declared disaster events that occurred between September 11, 2001, and February 1, 2009. Academic institutions included academic health centers and community teaching hospitals; schools of medicine, nursing, and public health; schools with graduate programs such as engineering and psychology; and 4-year programs. The services and resources provided by the academic institutions as part of the community disaster response could be categorized as contributing to community disaster resilience by reducing the consequences or likelihood of an event or to specific dimensions of public health preparedness and response, or both. The most common dimensions addressed by academic institutions (in order of occurrence) were resource management, enabling and sustaining a public health response, information capacity management, and performance evaluation.Conclusions: Since September 11, 2001, the participation of academic institutions in community disaster response has contributed to community resilience and the achievement of specific dimensions of disaster preparedness and response.(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2011;5:218–226)


Author(s):  
Pamela Rafferty-Semon ◽  
Jeremy Jarzembak ◽  
Jennifer Shanholtzer

Disasters are increasing at local, national, and global levels, as is the need for all nurses and communities to be prepared. Since 2003, decreased funds for disaster preparedness has meant less opportunity for public health departments and emergency management agencies to test disaster response plans. Today’s graduating nurses need strong skills in disaster nursing to manage a variety of disasters in a local to global context. One aim of this article is to briefly describe preparedness planning using a Point of Distribution/Dispensation (POD) and teaching competencies for disaster nursing. We discuss in detail an exemplar about a simulation developed with collaboration among university faculty, the county public health department, and the local emergency management agency (EMA). The article considers insufficient funds for drills and exercises; strategies to increase disaster knowledge and competency of undergraduate nursing students; and realistic, hands-on active learning approaches to disaster response at all levels, including implications for practice.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S661-S661
Author(s):  
Anna Faul ◽  
Mona Huff ◽  
Samantha G Cotton ◽  
Pamela Yankeelov ◽  
Joe D’Ambrosio ◽  
...  

Abstract Stress and compassionate fatigue are common among graduate level students working in healthcare professions, however, few studies focus on preventative self-care and its’ impact on these learners. As part the University of Louisville’s Behavioral Health Workforce Enhancement Training Program (BHWET), graduate students are trained to work with older adults in rural communities. The focus of our BHWET program is to provide holistic, behavioral health care through our FlourishCare Network. As part of the student’s weekly curriculum, an interdisciplinary group of learners from counseling psychology, social work and psychiatric nursing were invited to the attend the sessions were invited to participate in a 2-semester Microclinics and Health Matters course that was designed to promote self-care and harness the power of social networks to promote health. A total of 15 students completed the program. Biomarkers including BMI, Cholesterol, A1C, Blood Pressure were taken every week time the course was offered. Cortisol levels were taken every 4 months to measure stress levels. Across the initial 12 weeks of programming, there were positive outcomes for the participants in terms of either maintenance of healthy goals or biomarkers. Additionally, the program had an impact on the older adult clients that were being served by the students compared to students that did not participant. In a review of the plan of care items, which is central to our work with FlourishCare clients, plan of care items showed a stronger focus on connecting clients to social health interventions and a stronger connection to education about health-related content.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 777-781
Author(s):  
Natasha Sanchez Cristal ◽  
Noel Metcalf ◽  
Debra Kreisberg ◽  
Charles M. Little

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study is to enrich public health emergency management (PHEM) curricula and increase the workforce readiness of graduates through the implementation of an innovative curriculum structure centered around simulation and the creation of authentic learning experiences into a mastery-based Disaster Preparedness graduate certificate program launched in 2016 at the Colorado School of Public Health. Learners progress through a sequence of increasingly complex discussion and operations-based exercises designed to align with training methodologies used by future employers in the disaster response field, covering PHEM fundamentals and domestic and international disaster preparedness and response. Preliminary feedback is overwhelmingly positive, equating the experience to securing an internship. Embedding simulation-based exercises and authentic learning environments into graduate curricula exposes learners to diverse disaster scenarios, provides occasion for practicing critical thinking and dynamic problem solving, increases familiarity with anticipated emergency situations, and builds the confidence necessary for exercising judgment in a real-world situation. This novel curriculum should serve as a model for graduate programs wishing to enrich traditional training tactics using a typical school of public health support and alignment with community resources. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:777–781)


2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S1) ◽  
pp. s29-s29 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Chang ◽  
S.M. Briggs

BackgroundNurses play an essential role in disaster response. All health care responders, including nurses, must have knowledge of the key principles of disaster medicine. The International Trauma and Disaster Institute (ITDI) at Massachusetts General Hospital has developed a core curriculum for Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) management. The curriculum provides all members of the multidisciplinary disaster team with the fundamentals of the MCI response. The proposed concurrent session will report on understanding of the fundamental knowledge in disaster medicine and preparedness for nurses in local and international disaster responses.Discussion and ObservationsDisasters follow no rules. Traditionally, medical providers have held the erroneous belief that all disasters are different, especially those involving terrorism. In reality, all disasters, regardless of etiology, have similar medical and public health consequences. A consistent medical approach to disasters, based on an understanding of their common features and the response they require, is becoming the accepted practice throughout the world. This strategy, called the MCI response, has the primary objective of reducing the mortality/morbidity caused by the disaster. The Advanced Disaster Medical Response (ADMR) Course, available in eight languages, including Chinese, is designed to train nurses in the ABC's of basic medical and public health disaster care. The delivery of optimal care in a disaster relies on a common understanding of each health professional's role and common mastery of defined essentials of disaster response such as the Incident Command System, field triage, decontamination, care of specific injuries, environmental considerations, psychological response to disasters, and care of the dead and their families. Understanding key principles and training in medical disaster response will guide nurses in disaster preparedness and response to future disasters.


Author(s):  
Mallory Kennedy ◽  
Shannon A. Gonick ◽  
Nicole A. Errett

As communities recover from disasters, it is crucial to understand the extent to which states are prepared to support the recovery of health systems and services. This need has been emphasized by the United States’ experience with COVID-19. This study sought to assess public health activities in state disaster recovery implementation plans. In this exploratory, descriptive study, state-wide disaster recovery implementation plans were collected from emergency management agency websites and verified (n = 33). We reviewed and coded the recovery plans to identify health-related activities. While 70% and 64% of reviewed plans included activities to address short-term healthcare and behavioral health needs, respectively, one-third or less of the plans included activities to address long-term healthcare and behavioral health needs. Further, plans have limited descriptions of health-related data collection, analysis, or data-driven processes. Additional evidence-informed public health requirements and activities are needed in disaster recovery implementation plans. State disaster recovery plans would benefit from additional description of public health roles, responsibilities, and activities, as well as additional plans for collecting and analyzing public health data to drive recovery decision making and activities. Plans should include approaches for ongoing evaluation of recovery activities.


Author(s):  
Carolyn McLeod

Chapter 6 centers on a duty—endorsed by licensing bodies and health professional organizations—that health care professionals have to the public to promote public health, and more narrowly, to foster equitable access to medical care. The author argues that this duty is a type of fiduciary duty, although a different type than the one health care professionals have in their relationships with current patients. The duty to the public demands the professional’s fidelity not to individual people but to abstract purposes. Health care professionals are morally required to be loyal to the purposes of furthering public health and equitable access, which they can achieve only by prioritizing the interests of prospective patients in gaining access to care over their own interests. Such prioritizing limits, in turn, the extent to which they can legitimately refuse to take on new patients because of their conscientious objections.


2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 507-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masami Ishii ◽  
Takashi Nagata

AbstractA complex disaster, the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, consisted of a large-scale earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident, resulting in more than 15 000 fatalities, injuries, and missing persons and damage over a 500-km area. The entire Japanese public was profoundly affected by “3/11.” The risk of radiation exposure initially delayed the medical response, prolonging the recovery efforts. Japan's representative medical organization, the Japan Medical Association (JMA), began dispatching Japan Medical Association Teams (JMATs) to affected areas beginning March 15, 2011. About 1400 JMATs comprising nearly 5500 health workers were launched. The JMA coordinated JMAT operations and cooperated in conducting postmortem examination, transporting large quantities of medical supplies, and establishing a multiorganizational council to provide health assistance to disaster survivors. Importantly, these response efforts contributed to the complete recovery of the health care system in affected areas within 3 months, and by July 15, 2011, JMATs were withdrawn. Subsequently, JMATs II have been providing long-term continuing medical support to disaster-affected areas. However, Japan is at great risk for future natural disasters because of its Pacific Rim location. Also, its rapidly aging population, uneven distribution of and shortage of medical resources in regional communities, and an overburdened public health insurance system highlight the need for a highly prepared and effective disaster response system. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2013;7:507-512)


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