World Health Organization, 2019
World Health Organization, 2019
Re: Topic 5 DQ 2
The video clip was an eye opener and took me through a rollercoaster of emotions. It was evident that the country of Haiti was not prepared for a large-scale disaster like the earthquake that occurred in 2010. The earthquake claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people and injured thousands more (World Health Organization, 2019). Their health care infrastructure including hospitals and health facilities were put to the ultimate test as thousands of people lined up for care. Many lessons of disaster preparedness can be learned through this devastating event.
Disaster or emergency management can be separated into four phases: Prevention or Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery, each phase having its own set of activities. The mitigation phase includes actions to prevent or reduce the cause, impact, and consequences should a disaster occur. Public health nurses (PHN) can educate the community with planning for emergency situations such as practicing preparation drills. The preparedness phase includes planning and training to develop the capacity to respond quickly and efficiently to disasters and emergencies. Activities include developing plans to include what, where, and who to call for assistance. Health care facilities may practice through drills and exercises or educate the public with creating disaster kits. The next phase is the response phase which is the phase immediately following a disaster to provide safety for the community such as search and rescues, providing shelter, food, and medical care. The last phase is the recovery phase where restoration efforts occur (Falkner, 2018).
