Mass Casualty: Natural Disasters in the U.S.- 3CH

Course overview

Target audience: Nurses in any setting should be prepared to safeguard the public and their patients in the event of a natural disaster. Those nurses involved in community settings and large metropolitan hospitals should be most concerned with this content. Course overview: This course describes the nature of natural disasters and mass casualty threats in the United States and the role of nurses and others in preparedness, immediate responses, and recovery efforts to reduce the loss of life and injuries. Disaster preparedness for tornados, hurricanes, floods, fires, earthquakes, and blizzards are discussed. Descriptions of priorities and preparedness for mass casualty situations and natural disasters affecting specific clinical practice areas are provided. Learning objectives After taking this course, the learner should be able to: -Define mass casualty event terminology relative to natural disasters. -Explain the roles of responders in the incident command structure. -Describe the importance of communication and control in a mass casualty event. -Examine the human responses to mass casualty events and natural disasters. -Describe ethical dilemmas in mass casualty care. -Review the competencies for disaster nursing. -Identify specific risks and consequences associated with tornados, hurricanes, floods, fires, earthquakes, and blizzards. -List resources for further information on mass casualty care.