There is the need for any community to always have proper structures which will assist in managing possible disasters in such a community with the overall objective of ensuring that it is free from any impending dangers. The commonest disaster that has been constantly affecting my community is floods (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2016; a). The main effect of flooding is that it interrupts the normal living of persons in the society. Additionally, the fatalities associated with floods usually take a toll on the safety of human populations. Floods are also responsible for destabilizing government systems like transport and communication lines.
The first role of the community health nurse in such a situation will be to ensure the health and safety of populations. This is due to the fact that with the onset of floods, waterborne diseases are likely to result. As such, a community health nurse (CHN) will have to make sure that they provide treatments to persons affected by such illnesses. The CHN will also assist in educating community members on the proper ways to protect themselves incase such a disaster happens without people having prior knowledge of it (Federal Emergency Management Agency. 2016; a). In case of injuries, the CHN will be tasked with providing first aid services to the injured.
A possible infectious disease outbreak that may affect a community is influenza. In such an instance, the community health nurse will be required to provide education to community members on the measures which they will have to take to avert the possibilities of such condition from spreading (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2016; b). The education plan will involve washing one’s hand with soap and water to avoid spreading the flu when a sick person coughs, avoiding making contact with the individuals who have already been affected and advising community members to cover their mouths with a handkerchief while coughing or sneezing.
The preparedness levels regarding disaster management in my neighborhood are top notch since community members are always taken through drills on how to protect themselves in case any disaster happens.
References
Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2016; a). Floods | Ready.gov. Retrieved from https://www.ready.gov/floods
Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2016; b). Pandemic | Ready.gov. Retrieved from https://www.ready.gov/pandemic
