Reference no: EM132788982

Your instructor has been asked by the county emergency services to find volunteers for their next county-wide disaster drill. You are intrigued and your entire class has chosen to participate. On the day of the county-wide drill, your class is divided into groups and taken to different locations. All of your classmates are "victims" of a 9.0 earthquake close to your home. You are either dead or have simple to complex injuries. The organizers have provided food for a midmorning snack and a box lunch. At the end of the drill, you are bussed back to your departure point. All of your classmates are returning at different times. The drill was on a Friday, so you have not seen any of your classmates for feedback before the weekend.

On Monday, as the class is about to begin, students are exchanging stories and everyone seems to be saying the same thing. Although everyone enjoyed the drill, they felt that the hospital participants were very disorganized. Personnel did not know procedures or where to access equipment. In some places, even though the learners had minor wounds, major wounds, or were tagged as dead, they were asked to help out the staff.

1. What could be two plausible reasons why this disaster drill was so disorganized?

2. If you are working in a health care facility when there is a disaster, what will you do-stay or leave to get to your family?

3. How often should personnel practice disaster drills? What are some other recommendations?

You are the nursing team leader at the Aspirus Medical Clinic in the Internal Medicine Department, and you have observed a recently hired practical nurse named Elizabeth come to work with stitches in her lip and a bruised cheek. She tells you she fell and had to go to the emergency room for stitches. Over the next 2 months, you find she has been late to work five times and has two absences for various ailments. You observe that she lacks self-esteem and avoids socializing with other staff members. When other staff persons ask her if she wants to stop off for coffee or a drink after work, she seems uneasy and says that her husband expects her home and she cannot be late. Other team members have started to complain that she is getting a lot of telephone calls from her husband during the work day.

1. What can you conclude from your observations?

2. How can you approach Elizabeth to discuss your observations and suspicions?

Lonnie is nearing graduation from nursing school. He has not yet decided where he would like to work or what setting he would like to work in. He would love to travel but is not sure if he is ready to do that. He approaches you in the cafeteria, and you both talk about your future career goals. He asks you how he can figure where he wants to work and what kind of work he wants to do.

1. How would you suggest he begin to make a decision about where he would like to work and what setting he would like to work in?

2. How can he meet his long-term goal of traveling?