Nurses as Leaders in Disaster Preparedness and Response: A Call to Action

Abstract Summary:  This project was an exploratory qualitative study to systematically identify relevant themes in the practice of disaster nursing. The aims of the project were to engage subject matter experts to develop a vision for the future of disaster nursing, to identify barriers to achieving that vision, and to synthesize their collective recommendations for nursing practice, education, policy, and research. The Call to Action includes a broad audience that includes nurses, employers, voluntary organizations, educators, policy makers, and researchers.

Abstract:

Introduction:   A dramatic increase in the frequency and intensity of natural weather-related, technological, infectious disease, and human-caused disaster events have tested the capacity of our health care systems.  Registered nurses (approximately 2.8 million in the United States) represent the largest segment of the US healthcare workforce and have the capacity to improve access to healthcare services during emergencies and disasters.  Nurses play key roles as responders during disaster, using critical thinking skills to maintain quality care while prioritizing and allocating scarce resources. Employed across diverse settings, nurses collaborate daily with a broad range of healthcare professionals and are consistently ranked by the public as trusted sources of health information.  Nurses have the potential to significantly improve the preparedness of their own household, neighbors, patients, families and ultimately, the nation.

Design and Methods:  The Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs convened a series of semi-structured focus groups via conference calls with fourteen national subject matter experts to generate relevant concepts regarding national nursing workforce preparedness, followed by an invitational daylong workshop in December 2014 to explore these concepts. Workshop participants included 70 nurses, emergency managers and public health leaders from academia, government, healthcare industry, professional organizations, and non-governmental organizations. Conference call notes and audiotapes from the workshop were transcribed and thematic analysis conducted.

Findings:  The collective group described a vision for the future of disaster nursing “To create a national nursing workforce with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to respond to disasters and public health emergencies in a timely and effective manner.” Ideally, nurses would:

• possess a minimum knowledge base, skills and abilities regarding disaster response and public health emergency preparedness;

• respond directly or provide indirect support (e.g., shift coverage for deployed or data collection) during a disaster event or public health emergency.

• promote preparedness amongst individuals in their care, families and broader communities; and

• demonstrate a commitment to professional preparedness by participating in disaster planning, drills, and exercises.

• create a cohort of highly specialized nurses with advanced disaster skills and expertise.

Recommendations for nursing practice, education, policy, and research as well as barriers and challenges are summarized in this poster/presentation. 

Conclusions:  This project represents an important step toward enhancing nurses’ roles as leaders, educators, responders and researchers in disaster preparedness and response.  Academic, health and human services organizations that employ nurses, policy makers and researchers are encouraged to engage in an expansive national dialogue regarding how the vision and recommendations could be implemented within their organizations.