|
How ready are we for disasters?
|
|
|
|
|
| Article Type: | Editorial |
| Subject: |
Nurses
(Practice) Natural disasters (Environmental aspects) Natural disasters (New Zealand) Natural disasters (United States) |
| Author: | Wilson, Denise |
| Pub Date: | 04/01/2011 |
| Publication: | Name: Nursing Praxis in New Zealand Publisher: Nursing Praxis in New Zealand Audience: Academic Format: Magazine/Journal Subject: Health care industry Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2011 Nursing Praxis in New Zealand ISSN: 0112-7438 |
| Issue: | Date: April, 2011 Source Volume: 27 Source Issue: 1 |
| Topic: | Event Code: 200 Management dynamics |
| Product: | Product Code: 8043100 Nurses NAICS Code: 621399 Offices of All Other Miscellaneous Health Practitioners |
| Geographic: | Geographic Scope: New Zealand; United States Geographic Code: 8NEWZ New Zealand; 1USA United States |
|
|
|
| Accession Number: | 276900993 |
| Full Text: |
I want to begin this Editorial by acknowledging the people of
Christchurch and those in Japan, and to pay my sincere sympathy to those
who have lost loved ones, friends, acquaintances, colleagues and their
homes and workplaces. I also want to acknowledge those nurses who lost
their lives in the Christchurch earthquake. To those of you who are in
the process of rebuilding your lives; Kia maia, kia toa, kia manawanui
(be strong, be brave, be of good heart). For those of us watching from the outside we can only begin to imagine the terror of the initial earthquakes, of the pain and heartache that goes with losing those we know, of having the treasures that are part of us gone forever, of no longer having any certainty in life, and the realisation that life will never be the same. The recent events are a grim reminder that the power of humankind is no match for the powerful forces of nature. Nurses play important roles in disasters formally and informally, immediately and during the ongoing recovery people endure after such events. At a Western Pacific and South-East Asian Region Regulatory meeting held in Wellington some time after the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004 in the Indian Ocean, two nurses (one from Thailand and one from Bandi Achi) shared with us their experiences of living through the tsunami and disaster preparedness. Having watched the events time after time on the television did not prepare me for what these nurses had to say. While they survived the disaster, the tsunami stripped away even pens and paper--they had nothing to 'work' with. They also shared the tensions they lived with having to keep up their professional persona, all the while not knowing if their family were even alive. They talked about cultural considerations and how this impacted on saving people. The recent events are a timely reminder for nurses to reflect on how well prepared are they for a disaster such as an earthquake or tsunami--real possibilities for nurses practising in New Zealand. Fung, Lai and Loke (2009) state: The literature is full of studies about preparing nurses for disasters, and the place of disaster preparedness in nursing curricula. But how well are we prepared? Is this something all registered nurses need to revisit? Danna, Bernard, Schaubhut and Mathews (2010) share their insights as nurses who survived and worked through Hurricane Katrina, highlighting the role nurses play in disasters. Their experiences illustrate how the role for some nurses continued well after the initial emergency. They also share preparation strategies. Their experiences illustrate how the role for some nurses continued well after the initial emergency, and highlight preparation strategies. We need to listen to the stories of our colleagues who have lived and worked through the disasters of recent times, as it is through their experiences and insights nurses can become better prepared for the unexpected events that have confronted communities here, and around the world. I want to finish by saying on behalf of the Nursing Praxis in New Zealand Editorial Board and staff our thoughts are with our nursing colleagues and the people of Christchurch and Japan in their journeys to rebuild their lives. References Danna, D., Bernard, M., Schaubhut, R., & Mathews, P. (2010). Experiences of nurse leaders surviving Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Nursing & Health Sciences, 12(1), 9-13. doi: 10.1111/j.1442-2018.2009.00497.x Fung, W. M., Lai, K. Y., & Loke, A. Y. (2009). Nurses' perception of disaster: Implications for disaster nursing curriculum. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 18(22), 3165-3171. doi: 10.1016/j.dmr.2005.04.001 Associate Progessor Denise Wilson RN PhD FCNA(NZ) Editor-in-Chief/AUT University When disasters occur, nurses' active role in caring for the victims and those affected is crucial. Nurses' effectiveness in responding to and handling disastrous happenings in relation to on-site triage, emergency care for the victims, supporting and protecting others from health hazards; rests on how they perceive disaster and its nature (p. 3167). Nurses are in leadership positions before, during and after any disaster. Nurses are called upon to report to duty, leaving their loved ones to care for themselves while the nurses care for the sick and frail in unbelievably difficult situations (p. 9) |
| Gale Copyright: | Copyright 2011 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. |
Previous Article: Calendar of future events.
Next Article: Building relationships: the key to preceptoring nursing students.
Next Article: Building relationships: the key to preceptoring nursing students.