Emergency Management Facts and Myths

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Emergency Management Facts and Myths

• by
• Donna L. Pitre, RN, BSN, CHSP

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Emergency Management Facts and Myths

• Objectives
• Understand TJC new EM chapter
• Describe emergency credentialing
• Identify communications means
• Describe lessons learned (myths) encountered
  during Emergency Plan activations.

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Emergency Management Facts and Myths

• Emergency-unexpected or sudden event that
  significantly disrupts the organizations ability
  to provide care, or significantly disrupts the
  environment of care itself
• human-made
• natural (electrical system failure, hurricane,
  tornado)

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Emergency Management Facts and Myths

• EMERGENCIES IMPACT ALL EMPLOYEES
• As of 2009, TJC is separating the EM section of
  the EC chapter and making its own chapter

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Emergency Management Facts and Myths

• EMERGENCIES IMPACT ALL EMPLOYEES
• EM.02.02.13
• During disasters, the organization may grant
  disaster privileges to volunteer licensed
  independent practitioners.

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Emergency Management Facts and Myths

• Volunteer practitioner requirements
• Government-issued photo identification
• And at least one of the following
• Current health care organization identification
• Current license to practice.
• Primary source verification of licensure
• DMAT, MRC, ESAR-VHP authority
• Confirmation by a LP currently privileged

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Emergency Management Facts and Myths

• COMMUNICATION
• TJC EM.02.02.01
• -how will the organization communicate during a
  disaster
• Multiple mechanisms (Telephone, cell phones,
  Blackberries, 700/800 MHz, HAM, satellite phones,
  satellite internet connections, VHF, etc.)

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Emergency Management Facts and Myths

• Myth
• ICU and NICU patients should be moved first
  during an evacuation

Lesson Learned Arrival time of different EMT
vehicles fluctuates
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Emergency Management Facts and Myths

• Myth
• If there is an emergency, the hospital will be
  notified by the EMT service before they arrive.

Lesson Learned In emergency situations, EMT
services may not have contact information
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Emergency Management Facts and Myths

• Myth
• Surprise disaster drills are good to test
  employee knowledge

Lesson Learned Surprise disaster drill put
unnecessary stress on staff and my be ground for
litigation.
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Emergency Management Facts and Myths

• Myth
• If there are problems during a drill, there will
  be problems during an actual emergency.

Lesson Learned There is difficulty when
conducting a drill compared to a real disaster.
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Emergency Management Facts and Myths

• Myth
• All disasters are catastrophic and involve
  hundreds of thousands of victims

Lesson Learned As few as 10 causalities can
cause an emergency plan to be implemented.
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Emergency Management Facts and Myths

• Myth
• A digital camera is a perfect picture taking
  device during a disaster.

Lesson Learned Ensure enough batteries and a
sufficient memory card.
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Emergency Management Facts and Myths

• Myth
• All of the forms that are needed during a
  disaster are copied on the network ready for use.

Lesson Learned The network may not accessible.
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Emergency Management Facts and Myths

• Myth
• External aid (state, federal) can be relied upon
  in the immediate post-disaster phase.

Lesson Learned
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Emergency Management Facts and Myths
(Shillerstrom, Business Insurance 2008)
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Emergency Management Facts and Myths

• References
• Kaji, Amy. (2005). Acute Care College Medical
  Student Seminar. Disaster Facts and
  Myths, . Retrieved  July 7, 2008, from www.medsch.
  ucla.edu/curriculum/year4/acutecare/Docs/Disaster
  20Facts20and20Myths20(NXPowerLite).ppt database
  .
• The Joint Commission 2008 Hospital
  Accreditation Program. 2009 Chapter Emergency
  Management.