Expiration Date: December 31, 2011.
No CE contact hours (CH) will be given after this date.
Following the September 11, 2001, incident in the United States (US) and subsequent natural disasters, the US, like other countries, has focused on improving its overall disaster response capabilities. One mechanism that is under development to improve the country's surge capacity, i.e., its ability to substantially increase the number of volunteer health care professionals available to respond during a disaster, is the Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP). Registries, like ESAR-VHP, are significant tools for disaster planning and deployment. The goal of ESAR-VHP is to create a state-based registry of volunteer health professionals, verify their credentials prior to a disaster, and provide opportunities for education and training in disaster response. Each of these steps is necessary in ensuring access to patient services during an emergency, while also providing for the safety of the volunteer health professional. This article speaks to the registered nurse as a volunteer acting within these types of registries. Specifically, it addresses the development of a personal and professional response plan, and registration programs that provide the preparation needed to enable a nurse responder to work effectively within a disaster response team and facilitate preregistration with one and only one registry. The legal implications of responding are also discussed.
Key words: Credentialing, disaster preparedness, disaster registry, disaster response, emergency system, natural disaster, regulation, volunteer health professionals, weapons of mass destruction
Since September 11, 2001, disaster preparedness and response in the United States (US) and elsewhere has received significant attention, resources, and scrutiny. While there are many aspects to disaster response, such as security, transportation, and reconstruction, the medical response directly affects the people most impacted by the disaster. Provide nursing care during a disaster presents numerous challenges, such as an uncertain physical environment, scarce human and material resources, personal risk, and most certainly, patients who are at their most vulnerable. Yet, without hesitation registered nurses and other health professionals have responded during a time of need. Registered nurses are often the single largest group of responders in any major disaster. To date, nursing's response has not necessarily been coordinated or managed within the traditional disaster planning and response framework. This article examines various aspects of the registered nurse as a disaster responder within the US. Specifically, it addresses the development of a personal and professional response plan, and registration programs that provide the preparation needed to enable a nurse responder to work effectively within a disaster response team and facilitate preregistration with one and only one registry. A variety of the legal implications of responding are also discussed. Clearly, now is the time for nursing's response power to be harnessed, cultivated, and deliberately managed so that it can be deployed in a manner that will be of greatest benefit to this nation during a major disaster.
The purpose of this call is identify strengths and challenges facing healthcare professionals and disaster response.
Objectives:
On completion of thisteleconference, the participant will be able to:
- Describe the roles and responsibilities of a nurse volunteer.
- Explain the importance of registering for potential deployment during a disaster and legal implications.
- Describe the impact of health care personnel volunteer registry on disaster response planning.
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