Austerenurse
12-14-07, 23:28
Repost from elsewhere. Reckoned someone here might have been involved.
AN
---
Seeking Participants for Study of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Responders
As we prepare for another hurricane season, the nation
can’t help but look back at previous storms and
their level of destruction. All of us remember Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita and the pictures of devastationd
those of us not involved were glued to our television
sets every evening. National response plans call for
the establishment of alternative field medical facilities,
staffed by volunteers, to treat thousands of victims
of large-scale events. Federal planners assume
that trained and competent health care workers will
volunteer to staff these facilities.
At present, no systematic examination of the preparedness
of health care providers and their response
capabilities during a large-scale response has occurred.
Few studies have addressed whether volunteers
are prepared and competent to function in
these roles. As a result, very little is known about
what knowledge, skills, and abilities or professional
competencies are needed or if these competencies
change in each disaster phase. This information is critical
in designing effective national response plans and
future training content.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were the first real tests
of this alternative, nonhospital concept. To examine
these events, I am conducting an anonymous study
to examine the specific professional competencies of
registered nurses and physicians that were important
to these responses. The study, approved by the Uniform
Services University Institutional Review Board,
is Web-based with an alternative downloadable version
for persons with slow Internet connections or
the need to be ‘‘on the go,’’ for which respondents
will be reimbursed mailing costs. The study examines
pre-event and post-event transitions as well as 2 specific
competenciesd -- basic clinical care and triaged --
and it can be completed in less than 1 hour.
I am hoping that your readers will contribute to enlarging
the body of science in disaster response and
emergency preparedness by participating in the study.
The study can be found at http://www.usuhs.mil/
disastersurvey.
Thank you.
CAPT Lynn A. Slepski, RN, MSN, PhD (c), CCNS
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
E-mail: Lynn.Slepski@dhs.gov
AN
---
Seeking Participants for Study of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Responders
As we prepare for another hurricane season, the nation
can’t help but look back at previous storms and
their level of destruction. All of us remember Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita and the pictures of devastationd
those of us not involved were glued to our television
sets every evening. National response plans call for
the establishment of alternative field medical facilities,
staffed by volunteers, to treat thousands of victims
of large-scale events. Federal planners assume
that trained and competent health care workers will
volunteer to staff these facilities.
At present, no systematic examination of the preparedness
of health care providers and their response
capabilities during a large-scale response has occurred.
Few studies have addressed whether volunteers
are prepared and competent to function in
these roles. As a result, very little is known about
what knowledge, skills, and abilities or professional
competencies are needed or if these competencies
change in each disaster phase. This information is critical
in designing effective national response plans and
future training content.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were the first real tests
of this alternative, nonhospital concept. To examine
these events, I am conducting an anonymous study
to examine the specific professional competencies of
registered nurses and physicians that were important
to these responses. The study, approved by the Uniform
Services University Institutional Review Board,
is Web-based with an alternative downloadable version
for persons with slow Internet connections or
the need to be ‘‘on the go,’’ for which respondents
will be reimbursed mailing costs. The study examines
pre-event and post-event transitions as well as 2 specific
competenciesd -- basic clinical care and triaged --
and it can be completed in less than 1 hour.
I am hoping that your readers will contribute to enlarging
the body of science in disaster response and
emergency preparedness by participating in the study.
The study can be found at http://www.usuhs.mil/
disastersurvey.
Thank you.
CAPT Lynn A. Slepski, RN, MSN, PhD (c), CCNS
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
E-mail: Lynn.Slepski@dhs.gov