Disaster Planning EAQ

The victims of a large scale near-drowning incident are brought to the emergency department. What is the minimum length of time all such victims should be kept under observation in the hospital? 1. 12 hours 2. 18 hours 3. 23 hours 4. 48 hours

23 hours Complications can develop in victims who are essentially free of symptoms immediately after a near-drowning episode. This secondary drowning refers to delayed death from drowning due to pulmonary complications. Consequently, all victims of near-drowning should be observed in a hospital for a minimum of 23 hours, and longer if they have co-morbidities. Twelve hours and 18 hours are too soon to rule out secondary drowning. The clients need not be kept under observation for 48 hours if they do not have co-morbidities.

Which emergency medical service agency offers service such as a first aid stations and special-need shelters during a disaster or pandemic disease outbreak? 1. Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) 2. National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) 3. Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) 4. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

1 Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) may help staff hospitals or community health settings that face shortages and provide first aid stations or special-need shelters. The National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) manages mass fatalities, emergency animal care, and establishes fully functional field surgical facilities. A Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) is a medical relief team deployed to a disaster area with enough medical equipment and supplies to sustain operations for 72 hours. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training so that people are better prepared for disasters and hazard situations in their own communities.

During an external disaster, which member of the hospital incident command system has the authority to rapidly expand hospital capacity and ensure the availability of medical supplies to the nurse as a function of an emergency response plan? 1. Triage officer 2. Medical command physician 3. Hospital incident commander 4. Community public information officer

3 The hospital incident commander is a physician or administrator who assumes overall leadership for implementing the emergency response plan. He or she has the authority to rapidly expand hospital capacity, recruit paid or volunteer staff, and ensure the availability of medical supplies as a function of an emergency response plan during an external disaster. A triage officer is a physician or nurse who rapidly evaluates each client to determine priorities for treatment. A medical command physician is the personnel who decides the number, acuity, and resource needs of the clients. A community public information officer is a person who serves as a liaison between the healthcare facility and the media.

Which personnel are responsible for identifying the need for and calling in specialty trained providers in emergencies? 1. Triage officer 2. Public information officer 3. Medical command physician 4. Hospital incident commander

3 The medical command physician is responsible for identifying the resource needs of the clients. Therefore the medical command physician identifies the need for and calls in the specialty trained providers in emergencies. Triage officers are responsible for rapidly evaluating each client to determine priorities for treatment. The public information officer serves as a liaison between the healthcare facility and the media. The hospital incident commander is the one who assumes overall leadership for implementing the emergency plan.

What is the function of the hospital incident commander in a mass casualty event? 1. Assuming leadership for implementing the emergency plan 2. Deciding the number, acuity, and resource needs of clients 3. Evaluating each client to determine priorities for treatment 4. Serving as a liaison between the healthcare facility and the media

Assuming leadership for implementing the emergency plan Assuming leadership for implementing the emergency plan is the function of the hospital incident commander in a mass casualty event. A medical command physician decides the number, acuity, and resource needs of clients. Evaluating each client to determine priorities for treatment is the role of the triage officer. The public information officer serves as a liaison between the healthcare facility and the media.

The nurse is reassessing level of consciousness and mental status in a client who survived a fire. Which type of emergency assessment of the trauma client is the nurse performing? 1. Airway 2. Disability 3. Breathing 4. Full set of vital signs

Disability Reassessing the level of consciousness and mental status in a client would provide baseline assessment of neurologic status, which is an aspect of emergency assessment of disability performed in a primary survey as a life-saving intervention. Emergency assessment of the airway is performed to assess respiratory distress, bleeding, and edema. Emergency assessment of breathing is performed to assess normal airway passage, tension pneumothorax, or the need for mechanical ventilation. Assessing the full set of vital signs involves monitoring temperature, heart rate and, respiratory rate.

Several emergency preparedness agencies are developing emergency response plans in case of an earthquake alert. In which phase of the disaster management continuum would the nurse state this activity is included? 1. Response 2. Recovery 3. Mitigation 4. Preparedness

Preparedness The first phase of the disaster management continuum is preparedness. This is a protective plan designed before the event to structure the response, assess the risk, and evaluate the response. The response phase of the disaster continuum includes the actual implementation of the disaster plan. The recovery phase is related to actions focusing on stabilization of the community and returning it to the previous state. The mitigation phase includes attempts to limit a disaster's impact on human health and community function.

Which psychosocial nursing actions are appropriate when providing client care after a community disaster? Select all that apply. 1. Performing triage of injuries 2. Administering first aid to wounds 3. Offering choices whenever possible 4. Establishing rapport through active listening 5. Requesting assistance from crisis counselors

3,4,5 Psychosocial nursing actions appropriate when providing care after a community disaster include offering choices whenever possible, establishing rapport through active listening, and requesting assistance from crisis counselors. Performing triage of injuries and administering first aid to wounds are not psychosocial nursing actions.

Which statement is true regarding community emergency response teams (CERTs)? 1. They provide first responder service to victims at the disaster site. 2. They provide equipment to remain self-sufficient for 72 hours at the disaster site. 3. They help healthcare professionals understand their responsibility in preparing for a disaster. 4. They organize untrained volunteers to assist until professional services arrive at the disaster site.

4 The community emergency response teams (CERTs) can organize untrained volunteers to assist until professional services arrive at the disaster site. CERTs act as an extension of first responder service to victims at the disaster site but do not provide first responder service. Disaster medical assistance teams (DMATs) are sent to disaster sites with medical equipment and enough supplies to remain self-sufficient for 72 hours. CERTs help citizens, not healthcare professionals, understand their responsibility in preparing for a disaster.