Introduction:

The nurse is often a first responder in a natural or man-made disaster. It is therefore important to understand the role of a nurse, the chain of command, the communication protocol, and the available resources for handling an incident.

For this task you should complete the simulation “Disaster in Franklin Country” (found in the web link below). The simulation takes approximately 45 minutes to an hour to complete. You should take notes on the roles of a disaster team, the chain of command, the communication protocol, and the available resources.

Directions for accessing the simulation:

1.  Go to the “Disaster in Franklin Country” web link below.

2.  Read through the overview, and then click on “Register and take this online simulation.” (This will take you to a free log-in site.)

3.  Register for the website by clicking on the “Register” link next to the words “New to This Site?”

4.  Fill out the registration information, including your WGU e-mail address and password.

5.  Open the confirmation e-mail sent to your e-mail to activate the account.

6.  Click on the link provided in the e-mail.

7.  Click on “Select your course and log in.”

8.  Select “Disaster in Franklin County: A Public Health Simulation.”

9.  At the bottom of the screen, click on “Register and take this online simulation.”

10.  Log in with your WGU e-mail address and password.

11.  Read through the information and click on “I Agree” at the bottom of the page.

12.  Read through the consent information and click on “Continue.”

13.  Fill out the consent form and click on “Submit” at the bottom page.

14.  Fill out the pre-survey questions, and click on “Submit your answers.”

15.  Complete the pre-Test questions, and click on “Submit your answers.”

16.  Click “Begin Module.”

17. After completing these steps, work through all parts of the simulation. You will start by clicking on “Launch,” seen near the lower middle of the screen.

Task:

After completing the simulation, write an essay (suggested length of 3–4 pages) in which you do the following:

A.  Explain the role of the major public health personnel, including the public health nurse, involved in the disaster.

B.  Describe the chain of command that was used in the simulation for the community health nurse.

C.  Discuss the resources available to the community health nurse to deal with situations outside the nurse’s scope of practice.

D.  Describe actions taken by the community health nurse when encountered with possible emergency situations during the door-to-door interviews.

E.  Describe actions taken by the community health nurse to help the people who were interviewed cope with the situations after the flooding.

1.  Discuss techniques that were used or could have been used to calm the fears of the people interviewed.

F.  Discuss how other nursing personnel could be prepared to help in responding to a similar emergency with a much larger affected area (e.g., the effect of Hurricane Katrina).

G.  If you use sources, include all in-text citations and references in APA format.