Healthcare centers and facilities play a significant role in disaster and emergency preparedness efforts for all types of events such as natural, man-made events, terrorist attacks and pandemic outbreaks. Healthcare facilities are required to have emergency and disaster operations plan which apparently gives an outline of how the hospital is prepared to respond and recover from all types of hazards. The preparation process requires the healthcare facility to include a number of six critical components including communications, resources and assets, safety and security, staff responsibilities, utilities and clinical and support activities (Wee 241). The approach of being prepared to respond means that the hospital can effectively respond to disasters and emergencies of any scale, cause and duration.
The disaster and emergency preparedness program addresses response procedures, capabilities, and proceedings in the event where the hospital is not supported by the community recovery strategies, initiating and terminating response and recovery phases while identifying sites of care, treatment and services. Having the disaster and emergency preparedness program enables the healthcare facility to provide the structure and processes that the organization utilizes to respond to and initially recover from an event. The program for preparing for a disaster or emergency involves a number of elements such as getting organized, supplies and equipment, establishing emergency communications systems, planning ahead for evacuations and reducing exposure to risks and hazards. Emergencies and disasters often happen or take place at any moment without a warning. When an emergency or disaster occurs, the immediate program for safety and recovery will depend on the existing levels of preparedness in the organization. The different elements of the program are discussed below;
Getting Organized
The first idea of building a disaster and emergency preparedness program is to bring together human and physical resources which can do the required job. Every health Centre needs to have an emergency coordinator to help in the process of developing the disaster and emergency preparedness program. The person appointed must be familiar with the programs and physical facilities of the healthcare facility while also having the management experience and financial authority (American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM)). The emergency coordinator must have the ability to collaborate with the management to develop and maintain the information as a well as having an emergency preparedness committee composed of staff, faculty and principle investigators.
The organization element also involves arranging for the emergency and disaster committee members to be educated and trained as well as buying the emergency supplies and equipment needed for the process. The emergency preparedness committee is divided into groups such as the emergency response team and the emergency recovery team. The emergency response team is educated and trained to help in the process of disseminating emergency instructions, assist evacuations and security and provide first aid services when needed. The emergency recovery team has the responsibility of preparing the report on the effects of the emergency or disaster and coordinate facility and program restoration in relation to the priorities set before by the committee (Wee 240).
Supplies and Equipment
A healthcare facility will need to have basic emergency supplies and equipment to ensure that it is self-sufficient in the face of a disaster or an emergency. Having the supplies and equipment readily at the organization means that the facility can be prepared to minimize or eradicate the risks which might come with the disaster or emergency. The emergency kits always vary depending on the size, structure and function of the facility even though some of the facilities are constant. Some of these facilities include first aid supplies containing necessary instructions, flashlights, power strips, extension cords, laboratory spill kits, and portable emergency water and employee rosters (Shannon 162). The management of the facility should encourage the employees to always keep emergency kits within their working area in order to be ready to respond to any cases.
Establishing Emergency Communication Systems
The emergency and disaster program explains that the management has some responsibilities when it comes to establishing emergency communication systems. For instance, the management should ensure that the life safety emergencies are reported to the protective services so that the appropriate action can be taken. The management should also account for the safety of all personnel in case an emergency or disaster strikes (American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM)). Any disaster impact reports should be forwarded to the emergency and disaster operations center and the management should ensure that it disseminates the recommended disaster instructions.
The management should also ensure that the emergency and disaster program includes a number of procedures for making critical notifications during business hours ad during after-hours emergencies and disasters. For instance, the management can establish telephone and distribution centers, voicemail and email lists as a way of helping in the initiation of rapid emergency notifications. It is essential to come up with a hospital emergency hotline so that the departments, employees and other stakeholders can have an easy time communicating with the rest of the organization (American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM)). The disaster and emergency operations number should also be kept at hand. The flow of information from one department to another or from one committee to another is very important in ensuring that the organization can respond effectively to disaster s and emergencies.
Planning Ahead for Evacuations
The process of evacuating a building during disasters such as fire or earth quake is necessary as all occupants of the building must exit immediately. The occupants of the building are then advised to remain outside until a safety inspection has been conducted before entry. The process of evacuating the building depends on the level of the emergency and it is a coordinated effort as the emergency management team tries to prevent a stampede. A level1 emergency incident does not require the building to be evacuated as the occupants can be directed to remain on site as the emergency is neutralized (Shannon 162). Evacuations are only necessary when the incident has a generated a hazardous material or immediate health and safety risk.
Reducing Exposure to Risks and Hazards
Reducing exposure to risks and hazards focuses on both the external events that immediately impact the clinical operation if a healthcare organization as a well internal occurrences affecting the health and safety of patients, staff and visitors. Preventing the effects of a fire emergency, in the organization takes a number of tips which are meant to help the facility to mitigate the effects when they occur. For instance, the location of all alarms and fire extinguishers should be known to all occupants of the building. The occupants must also know how to use such equipment for them to be useful. Obstructed corridors, aisles and room exists must be cleared in order to ensure that there is smooth movement. Use of extension cords must also be limited with a view to mitigate the effects of a fire emergency.
There are also laboratory safeties and preparedness measures which are meant to ensure that disasters and emergencies do not occur in the labs. The lab environment should be clean at all times to prevent diseases and germs. Flammable chemicals must be kept in flammable storage cabinets, and all lab technicians and assistants must understand the rules to follow in the process.
Works Cited
American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM). Risk Management Handbook for Health Care Organizations, 3 Volume Set. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2011.Print.
Shannon, Crystal. "Understanding Community-Level Disaster and Emergency Response Preparedness." Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, vol. 9, no. 03, 2015, pp. 239-244.
Wee, F.C. "(P2-56) Nurses' Knowledge, Skills and Perception Towards Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness." Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, vol. 26, no. S1, 2011, p. s162.
