Issues of Health Care Workers in a Major Disaster

Healthcare Workers and Disasters

Disasters due to extreme environmental conditions, technology, or mass violence often necessitate intervention by healthcare workers. Therefore, it is important that healthcare workers are adequately prepared for the potential of disaster through appropriate training and education. This preparedness allows healthcare workers to approach and deal with any emerging issues effectively and adapt to drastically changing situations and demands. Furthermore, the roles of healthcare workers also often significantly change during or after disasters.

One of the most important issues with regards to healthcare workers in the context of disasters is preparedness. Hsu et al. (2006) recognized that there is a critical need for disaster training for all levels of healthcare training that is effective and evidence based. This training should include the development of specific guidelines and standards in training health care workers to respond to major events (Hsu et al., 2006). In response to this need for effective training, the researchers sought to develop a method for the derivation of educational competencies in preparedness and responses for all healthcare workers.

The educational competencies were developed by Hsu et al. (2006) through a systematic consensus building process that incorporated several steps, such as reviewing research literature, reviewing existing competencies, courses, and training objectives that are published, as well as expert panel review. Through this process, the authors developed seven educational competencies. These competencies included: 1) to recognize a potential disaster and take necessary initial action; 2) application of critical event management principles; 3) demonstration of critical safety principles; 4) develop understanding of emergency operations plans; 5) demonstration of effective communication; 6) understand individual role in incident command system; 7) and demonstrate the necessary skills and knowledge for fulfillment of individual roles during a disaster (Hsu et al., 2006). These competencies were designed as a potential foundation for future disaster-response training and education for healthcare workers (Hsu et al., 2006).

Proper training and education results in increased preparedness for healthcare workers in response to disaster situations. As part of this preparedness, healthcare workers should be ready for changes and transitions with regard to their roles and demands put upon them. In particular, the role of the family physician could be altered drastically when faced with response to a disaster situation (Freedy & Simpson, 2007). It is suggested by Freedy & Simpson (2007) that family physicians have an action plan for effective preparedness for potential disaster situations. Part of this plan should include education for family physicians with regard to physical and mental health threats that could results from a disaster (Freedy & Simpson, 2007). Physical threats include acute problems like viral syndromes or gastroenteritis, as well as chronic health problems that need ongoing medication and care (Freedy & Simpson, 2007). Mental health problems associated with disasters include depression, alcohol abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder (Freedy & Simpson, 2007). Family physicians could also increase their disaster preparedness through networking and cooperation with local and national organizations, which could offer further education and support (Freedy & Simpson, 2007). Furthermore, family physicians could increase preparedness by ensuring that their clinic are fully supplied with supplies, such as suturing material, casting material, and medications. In addition to making sure that they can appropriately care for the general public, family physicians must also make sure plans are in place for the care of their own families in the case of disaster situations (Freedy & Simpson, 2007).