Bioterrorism

Course overview

The service provided by public health agencies in the U.S. is integral to homeland security and national defense. Nurses and other healthcare workers in these settings are on the front lines of this nation's emergency preparedness and public health response. In this age of modern warfare and terrorism, the threats posed by rogue entities range from chemical and biological agents to radiologic sources and explosive devices. Collectively, these threats are categorized as weapons of mass destruction. Front-line nurses in all acute care settings comprise this country's largest body of healthcare professionals. You must be knowledgeable about these threats and the enormous risks they pose to the safety and health of the general public. This course will provide a broad overview of the biological agents that may be weaponized against a population and other agents that may be used as weapons of war or terror.