DISASTER PLANNING
DISASTER PLANNING
Scenario: You are the PHN working at your local public health department in the nursing division. It is the middle of summer, and you have been receiving telephone calls asking about “the flu season” since the vaccine wasn’t accurate in predicting the strains of influenza that affected your community last year, and many people contracted the virus. Business and community leaders are concerned because they don’t want a repeat performance of last year. You have been asked to develop some solutions to community concerns. Select
two
of the following scenarios and respond to the questions that are posed in each.
Scenario 1: Imagine that initial pandemic flu cases have been identified in your jurisdiction. Some people are home sick, and others are staying home fearful that they may become infected with the flu. What advice would you give to local business owners to prepare for this event? Name two actions that business owners can take to keep their businesses open.
Scenario 1, Part B. As incidents of influenza continue to rise, local business owners are worried about loss of revenue if several large planned conventions are forced to cancel due to the flu. What advice can you give these business owners? Should all events be cancelled?
Scenario 2: Disease rates are rising, and estimates are that as many as 20% of the population are ill with confirmed influenza. Several businesses have closed and services have been suspended. What advice would you give to local law enforcement officials so they can continue to serve the needs of the people? Describe two actions that law enforcement workers can take to remain on the job. How will the gaps in personnel created by those who are ill be covered by those who are still well? What advice will you give?
Scenario 3: Disease rates are remaining at 20% of the population, and many schools have closed due to teacher absence. Since parents still have to work if they are not sick with the flu, what advice can you give day care providers? What two ideas can you share with them so they can stay open and able to care for the children of working parents? Should all school sporting events be cancelled? What information should parents be given? Should announcements be given daily?
Scenario 4: The numbers of influenza victims has reached 25% of the population. Many of the large grocery stores in your community are short-staffed due to employee sick calls. Shelves are bare since many of the workers are home with the flu, and even if the storeowner could stock the shelves, cashiers are home sick, too. In-store pharmacists are struggling to keep their pharmacies open to serve the public. Consumables like bread and milk are in short supply since many delivery drivers are home sick. What two actions can you recommend to these storeow
Doris Amsterdam
Wk 4 Initial Post
Scenario 1
I would encourage business owners and leaders to require workers and customers to wear a mask in their place of establishment to prevent the spread of germs, viruses, and infections. I would also tell business owners to provide information on the importance of handwashing and ensure soap, tissue, and hand sanitizer is available in the bathrooms, kitchens, and at the entrance of their establishment.
Scenario 1 Part B
I would speak to the business owners and leaders about promoting and setting a rule for social distancing, wearing masks, and encouraging people to stay home if they are sick or have been around someone sick. Also, events should be held outdoors, if circumstances allow. Not all events should be canceled, however; if the virus is out of control and numbers are rising, then events should be rescheduled once the numbers decrease.
Scenario 3
I would advise daycare workers to get vaccinated, wear a mask in public at all times, stay home if they feel sick or have been around someone sick, and get tested when in doubt. I would inform daycare workers of the importance of washing hands and how it lessens the chance of getting infected and passing on an infection.
FEMA, WHO, and the CDC are some organizations that are available to lead and assist during disasters, epidemics, and pandemics. There are also local resources to help in these situations, such as; fire stations, crisis hotlines, pharmacies, schools, and medical and dental offices, to name a few. Resources can be used more efficiently by people using only what they need and not over-accepting and hoarding supplies.
“Studies have linked the cultural aspect approach with approaches to nursing care for communities affected by disasters. The concept of nursing actions based on cultural considerations provides strong evidence that in a disaster, community nurses must take advantage of cultural forms, such as bonds and relationships, by providing information and supplements, respecting culture, such as local rules and characters, as well as healing and comforting the affected residents.” (Marutani, M et al., 2020)
There are always gaps that need to be clarified when it comes to organizational help during times of need, such as a pandemic, hurricane, or epidemic. Sometimes help does not reach the homeless or low-income communities, and the people who could go without seem to reap the benefits of these resources. This can also be flipped; for example, during the covid pandemic, when business owners needed funds to help keep their businesses afloat, people without businesses were managing to make up fake businesses and receive some of the government funds that weren’t meant for them.
Strengths and weaknesses are in every established community. Some strengths are helping one another in times of need, fellowshipping together, an
A pandemic is an outbreak of infection that spreads throughout a population of people in a region such as a country, continent, or the world (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2020). Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness with a range of symptoms that can cause death (Centers for Disease Control, 2022).
In scenario 3 schools are closed due to teacher absence and students are in need of childcare so that parents are able to remain working. I would suggest reaching out to daycare providers in the area to see if they are able to take in school-age children. If in need of extra laborers, high school students could be employed to assist the daycares. Reaching out to local organizations such as the YMCA or Boys and Girls Club that typically provide after-school care and requesting they provide during-school hours care is an option. Employees to staff these temporary programs could again be sought out through the high school, and local colleges, and the staff who aren’t ill can work to remain employed. School events should be canceled if school isn’t in session. Announcements on a daily basis should be provided to update parents on the return of children to class as soon as possible.
In scenario 6 the public health department has been notified of an increase in cases to 10% of the population. According to the CDC (2020), the first step to responding to an epidemic is to ensure that care is available to those who are ill and in need of hospitalization or emergency services. Providers are needed to test, treat, and educate patients to reduce the risk of further spread. If the clinics and hospitals are experiencing staffing shortages it may require a reduction in services that the facility provides to funnel its employees to care for influenza patients. The county public health services and home care agencies can provide in-home testing, care, and supply delivery to reduce the need for staff and the spread of illness by keeping people home.
Resources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, October 24).
Key facts about influenza (flu). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/keyfacts.htmLinks to an external site.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, May 12).
Pandemic influenza. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/index.htmLinks to an external site.
Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J.
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