Effect of subjective sleepiness on critical skills performance in National Guard medical personnel during extensive disaster training

BackgoundTo be effective, disaster preparedness training should continually meet the needs of the trainees. Most military medical personnel undergo training focused on practicing in austere environments with little support. However, while located at their home station, disaster response is conducted in a different manner due to staffing and available resources. This survey attempts to identify areas of the military medical disaster response staff are most concerned with in order to better formulate future training for home station as well as contingency operations, ultimately increasing confidence and effectiveness.MethodsAn online survey service was utilized to anonymously poll 106 military medical personnel assigned to a joint Level 1 trauma center in Iraq using 38 forced Likert-scale questions. The training issue of most concern for both arenas is the patient surge. Military-civilian collaboration was a key point regarding the home station setting and supplies/equipment for the deployed setting.ResultsEighty-nine percent of responders rated disaster training as moderate to very important. However, there was a low perception of disaster exercises conducted in the manner of a real-world event. This was attributed to unrealistic participation and training methods. Computer-based training (CBT) was identified as an ineffective method of training; hands-on instruction clearly identified as the preferred method. Participants rated considerable confidence in Level C personal protective equipment, and the majority surveyed would report for duty despite exposure risk.ConclusionCurrent training methods may not optimally produce disaster response effectiveness. Management of the patient surge was a repeating training concern for both home and deployed settings. Future training efforts should focus on military-civilian collaboration for the home station, and management of the patient surge for both arenas.

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The importance of pre-training gap analyses and the identification of competencies and skill requirements of medical personnel for mass casualty incidents and disaster training

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10165-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Krzysztof Goniewicz ◽

Mariusz Goniewicz ◽

Anna Włoszczak-Szubzda ◽

Frederick M. Burkle ◽

Attila J. Hertelendy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Personnel ◽

Mass Casualty ◽

Mass Casualty Incidents ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Knowledge And Skills ◽

Professional Groups ◽

Level Of Knowledge ◽

General Training ◽

Disaster Training ◽

Periodic Evaluation

Abstract Background Effective preparedness to respond to mass casualty incidents and disasters requires a well-planned and integrated effort by all involved professionals, particularly those who are working in healthcare, who are equipped with unique knowledge and skills for emergencies. This study aims to investigate and evaluate the level of knowledge and skills related to mass casualty and disaster management in a cohort of healthcare professionals. Methods A cross-sectional brief study was conducted using a validated and anonymous questionnaire, with a sample of 134 employees at a clinical hospital in Lublin, Poland. Results The findings of this study may indicate a need for standardization of training for hospitals employees. It also suggests a knowledge gap between different professional groups, which calls for adjusting such general training, to at least, the weakest group, while special tasks and mission can be given to other groups within the training occasion. Conclusion Pre-Training gap analyses and identification of participants’ competencies and skills should be conducted prior to training in mass casualty incidents and disasters. Such analyses provides an opportunity to develop training curriculum at various skill and knowledge levels from basic to advance. All training in mass casualty incidents and disasters should be subject to ongoing, not just periodic, evaluation, in order to assess continued competency.

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The Role of Health Sectors in Disaster Preparedness: Floods in Southeastern China, 1991

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine ◽

10.1017/s1049023x00040279 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 173-175 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Shao Xiaohong

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Disaster Preparedness ◽

Medical Personnel ◽

Anhui Province ◽

Southeastern China ◽

General Hospitals ◽

Southeast China ◽

Disaster Training ◽

The Impact

AbstractDisasters, whether natural or man-made, usually are unpredictable. Efforts to reduce morbidity and mortality from a disaster should be put forth before it occurs.A brief survey is presented of the worst flood to occur in a hundred years that affected eight provinces in Southeast China. The disaster preparedness and reposnse for Anhui Province, the hardest hit area, is summarized. The disaster preparedness was comprehensive, and cooperation was achieved among various specialties: military forces; firefighters; civil engineers; mechanics; police; provincial governors; the medical sectors; and so forth. Among these groups, the role of medical sectors was of great importance in reducing disease that would have resulted from such a disasterThe measures undertaken by the medical sectors included development of an organization to reduce the impact of disaster; training of medical personnel in techniques of rescue and in treatment of victims in disaster areas; development of a plan to assist the leadership in decision-making and establishing support for disaster preparedness; and maintaining sufficient capacity in general hospitals for the admission of victims from disaster areas.

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