Preparing for the realities of a disaster deployment: Tips, hints, and suggestions for healthcare professionals

Elaine Lust, PharmD; Kenneth P. Hermsen, DDS, MS

doi:10.5055/jem.2008.0010

Authors

Elaine Lust, PharmD
Kenneth P. Hermsen, DDS, MS

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/jem.2008.0010

Keywords:

disaster learning curve, disaster realities, deployment, disaster medicine

Abstract

The sharing of common deployment realities learned during medical disaster deployments is intended to assist other healthcare professionals who serve on local, state, regional, or federal disaster response teams. The tips, hints, and suggestions communicated in this article are categorized into four main areas: personal realities, disaster scene realities, practice change realities, and disaster management realities. By sharing disaster realities from “boots on the ground” experience, the authors hope to soften the learning curve that can accompany a medical disaster deployment for other healthcare professionals.

Author Biographies

Elaine Lust, PharmD

Assistant Professor, Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, Omaha, Nebraska; Pharmacist to Region 5 NVRT/VMAT.

Kenneth P. Hermsen, DDS, MS

Associate Professor, Creighton University School of Dentistry, Omaha, Nebraska; Region 7 DMORT.

References

National Disaster Medical System: Available at http://www.hhs.gov/aspr/opeo/ndms/teams/index.html. Accessed October 11, 2007.

Klein KR, Nagel NE: Mass medical evacuation: Hurricane Katrina and nursing experiences at the New Orleans airport. Disaster Manag Response 2007; 5: 56-61.

Chone SS, Mulvaney K: Field observations: Disaster medical assistance team response for Hurricane Charley, Punta Gorda, Florida, August 2004. Disaster Manag Response 2005; 3: 22-27.

Connelly M. IMERT deployment to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in response to Hurricane Katrina, September 2005. Disaster Manag Response 2006; 4: 4-11.

MIT Sloan Management Newsroom: In Depth: Natural Disasters Leadership: It takes a Team. Available at http://mitsloan.mit.edu/newsroom/indepth-disasters-leadership.php. Accessed, October 11, 2007.

Brooking A: Handling stress in crisis management. Spillcon 2000, Apt Consulting Group. Available at http://www.aip.com.au/amosc/papers/brooking_a.doc. Accessed October 11, 2007.

Hadley CN, Pittinsky TL, Zhu W: Measuring the efficacy of leaders to assess information and make decisions in a crisis: The CLEAD Scale. Faculty Research Working Papers Series. August 2007. Available at http://ksgnotes1.harvard.edu/Research/wpaper.nsf/rwp/RWP07-035/$File/rwp_07_035_pittinsky.pdf. Accessed October 11, 2007.