Module 3 Activity: 1 The Impact of Bioterrorism/Emergency Preparedness to Nursing and Health Care

Presented to Dr. Eva W. Stephens, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC Associate Professor Nursing Education Track Director School of Nursing Masters Program University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

In Partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Course GNRS 5322 Curriculum Design

By Kim Abraham, Tiffany Stevens, and Gina Wofford

February 25th, 2014

Bioterrorism and Emergency Preparedness

The Impact of Bioterrorism and Emergency Preparedness to Nursing and Health Care and The Importance of Incorporating this content into a Nursing Course Introduction The recent increased threat of terrorism, coupled with the ever-present dangers posed by natural disasters and public health emergencies, clearly support the need to incorporate bioterrorism preparedness and emergency response material into the curricula of every health professions school in the nation (DiMaggio, Markenson, and Rediener, 2005). According to the World Health Organization (2008), integrating emergency preparedness and disaster response into the nursing curriculum would provide the student with an overview of the skills and competencies required by nurses to carry out rapid response, surveillance, emergency medical care, organization and logistics, containment and communication during times of crisis Bioterrorism Bioterrorism is the use of biological agents to create fear and threat; it is the most likely form of terrorist attack to occur (Potter & Perry, 2009). Unfortunately, America had a major wake-up call when the attack of September 11, 2001 and the threat of anthrax occurred; those unfortunate events made the public and the government aware that terrorism is reality. Bioterrorism majorly impacts nursing and healthcare because nurses will require new strategies and interventions in order for nurses to render care in non-traditional care settings, to potentially large numbers of patients, while under stress and with limited resources. While nurses have been successful in developing new and advanced roles in acute care, home care, and ambulatory care, nursing must now clearly articulate what its role will be in disaster management and work to get involved (Steed, Howe, Pruitt, & Sherrill, 2004). Nurses must be prepared through education and training to be able to respond to an attack by taking the necessary steps to initiate an agencys

Bioterrorism and Emergency Preparedness

emergency management plan (Potter & Perry, 2009). Bioterrorism is unique among forms of terrorism because it would make significant demands on the countrys public health and health care systems (Steed, Howe, Pruitt, & Sherrill, 2004). It is important to implement Bioterrorism content in nursing courses because the threat of bioterrorism is real amongst our society today. Nurses are integral to the identification and management of bioterrorist events and need education to meet this challenge. Schools of nursing are in a position to prepare future nurses by integrating bioterrorism education into the undergraduate curricula (Steed, Howe, Pruitt, & Sherrill, 2004). It is imperative that future nurses are prepared and are competent when it comes to rendering aid and being able to manage a disastrous situation. The time of disaster and chaos can occur at any time and therefore it is essential that nurses are organized and knowledgeable of their roles in such a critical time. Schools or nursing should more formally address the need to outline required competencies of nurses in the area of bioterrorism preparedness(Steed, Howe, Pruitt, & Sherrill, 2004). Emergency Preparedness Emergency preparedness is ingrained into the residents of the State of Texas as they face natural and man-made disasters that range from weather related (e.g. hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding) to environmental (e.g. chemical plant explosions.) The term All hazards preparedness came into use after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and speaks to the need to have deliberate plans for responses to a variety of natural, accidental and purposeful disasters and to heighten societys need for these strategies ("AWHONN position statement," 2012). Inclusive to these tactics is the need to address the unique issues related to the pediatric population. These include the vulnerability of this population, the limited availability of age and weight-related treatments, their fragile responses and propensity to rapid deterioration, addressing special needs

Bioterrorism and Emergency Preparedness

children, and the family dynamic during a crisis situation (American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP], 2006). The impact on nursing is critical as the nurse participates in all the stages of disaster preparedness from planning, crisis response, and assistance in the recovery phase ("AWHONN position statement," 2012). Nursing education and curriculum must address these issues so future nurses will be prepared to face natural and man-made disasters, often in their novice stages of development. This is even more important for fragile populations, such as pediatrics. Educational nursing topics should include: delivery of care in low resource settings, Issues with special implications (e.g. children with special needs), triage and appropriate care of pediatric populations (and families) in disasters, providing of basic needs according to Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, mental health needs, nutritional needs, planning for evacuation and relocation ("AWHONN position statement," 2012)
Conclusion

According to the World Health Organization, (2008) nurses play a front-line position in dealing with disasters. Nurses often provide anticipatory education and guidance while working with families during crisis and its aftermath. Nurses must be prepared to deal with emergencies of all orders and education regarding the pediatric population and should be included not only in the nursing school curriculum but also in the workforce to assist them in strengthening preparedness for, response to, and recovery from an emergency or disaster.

Bioterrorism and Emergency Preparedness

References

American Academy of Pediatrics. (2006). Policy Statement: the pediatrician and disaster preparedness. Retrieved from DOI: 10.1542/peds.2005-2751 AWHONN position statement: The role of the nurse in emergency preparedness. (2012). Retrieved from DOI: 10:1111/j.1552-6909.2011.01338x DiMaggio, C., Markenson, D. & Redlener, I. (2005). Preparing health professions students for terrorism, disaster, and public health emergencies: core competencies. Academic Medicine, 80(2), 517-526. Integrating emergency peparedness and response into undergraduate nursing curricula. (2008). Retrieved from www.who.int/hac/publications/Nursing_curricula_followup_Feb08.pdf Potter, P. A., & Perry, A. G. (2009). Fundamentals of nursing (7th ed. ed.). St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby/Elsevier. Steed, C. J., Howe, L. A., Pruitt, R. H., & Sherrill, W. W. (2004). Integrating bioterrorism education into nursing school curricula. J Nurs Educ, 43(8), 362-367.