Introduction
Nursing is often associated with a variety of emergency situations. My Leader Mentor has always stressed that being prepared for an emergency situation can guarantee that the staff will effectively solve the issues. For instance, my Leader Mentor has always paid special attention to fire precaution and she makes sure the staff knows what to do in such an emergency situation. It is necessary to note that my Leader Mentor has always stressed the importance of proper training and education as she claims novice nurses should be aware of a variety of emergency situations and be able to respond to them effectively.
Fire Precaution and Other Emergency Situations
It is necessary to note that many health care professionals often neglect the importance of some safety measures. My Leader Mentor told me about numerous cases when she had persuaded her colleagues to be more responsible. She has often made nurses answer her questions concerning emergency situations. It often turned out that nurses are unprepared for such typical emergency as fire. My Leader Mentor stressed that even such brief enquiries made the staff more responsible as nurses had to learn certain regulations.
She also noted that these occasional enquiries do not suffice. Therefore, she has initiated a number of simulations and discussions on the matter. Remarkably, these discussions revealed the gaps and health care professionals had to accept the need to read the existing regulations and add certain rules. Admittedly, nurses can find themselves in diverse emergency situations (Ranse, Shaban, Considine, Hammad, Arbon, Mitchell, & Lenson, 2013, p. 58). Nonetheless, fire is one of the most probable in the present facility.
Proper Training
Notably, training plays a pivotal role in development of effective nurses. Sullivan (2012) stresses that nurses can face emergency situations, but they are often unprepared due to the lack of training. Amer (2013) also states that nurses should get proper education as well as continuous training (during their careers) to be ready for a variety of situations. My Mentor Leader stresses that each facility should have periodic training. Moreover, each facility should have a set of regulations which cover all aspects including emergency situations. My Leader Mentor notes that she has been involved in development of such regulations in the present hospital. Remarkably, Bimal et al. (2009) mention that the lack of such regulations often leads to numerous negative outcomes. The researchers emphasize that nurses should acquire emergency training in nursing schools (Bimal, Kalia, Singhi, & Kaur, 2009, p. 102).
The types of disaster preparedness provided in the Mentor’s facility are rather diverse, which allows for certain flexibility and the choice of the method that seems the most appropriate in a particular situation. Likewise, the networking avenues are quite diverse, including providing instructions on Facebook, giving important notices on Twitter and sharing stories on disaster prevention on Blogger. The given set of methods allows for not only providing people with instructions, but also gathering feedback and sharing experience. However, as Amer explains, “The ability to utilize and master these opportunities has become increasingly challenging” (Amer, 2013, p. vi).
Nevertheless, my Leader manages to address all critical issues for her facility timely and efficiently. While some issues might leap through the cracks once in a while, on the whole, the integration of news, rules and online communication helps solve the emerging issues efficiently. As my Mentor explained me, such coherency in the actions of the staff has been achieved by defining the standards for a succession plan. Every new mentor not only learns the strategies adopted by the previous ones, but also outlines his/her major discoveries and suggestions regarding disaster prevention. In addition, my Mentor stated clearly that the instructions listed in the text, while quite viable, still provide rather general information and that real life experience is just as important as the knowledge of the theory.
Response to Peers
Response to Christopher B.
Hi, Chris! I agree with your opinion regarding disaster prevention, because it is crucial that people should come prepared for a disaster when one comes. I also find it important that your paper not only stresses the necessity for disaster preparation, but also lists the key scenarios that are to be followed in a case of disaster. It is a wise idea to stress that getting ready for disasters takes not only training and careful plan development, but also considerable costs for specific equipment and safety provision. By embracing a number of aspects concerning preparation for a disaster, your paper points at the role of the leader of the organization in the given preparation, which often seems to be underrated. Hence, emphasizing the role of the organization leader makes your paper and its key argument all the stronger.
Response to Wendy S.
Hi, Wendy. I disagree with your opinion, because I believe that a nursing practitioner does have to be ready to tackle the issues related to disasters. While the paper does stress the uniqueness of the environment within a rural part of the state, it still clearly diminishes the role of a NP in the process of developing measures to be undertaken in case of a disaster, which does not seem right. Technically, your argument does have the point, since a NP is not usually assigned with the responsibility of designing an action plan for the case of a disaster; however, this does not mean that a NP should avoid learning about the possible avenues of facing the disasters that are typical for a rural area.
According to numerous researches, “most of nurses found it beneficial in terms of availability of written guidelines for managing pediatric emergencies at their own” (Bimal, Kalia, Singhi, & Kaur, 2009, p. 106). Every health organization must be able to prepare to the instance of a disaster, which means that every single member of the staff must know what actions to undertake. Hence, a NP also has to learn about the set of rules and requirements suggested in case of a disaster striking.
Conclusion
To sum up, I have learnt a lot from my Leader Mentor. I have acknowledged the importance of training in hospital. I understand that nurses are at front line during any emergency situations. Hence, nurses should be ready to respond to numerous emergency situations. I agree with my Leader Mentor and I think students of medical schools should acquire the necessary knowledge on the matter. More so, such training cannot stop in their working place. Each facility should have certain set of regulations where the most probable emergency situations are covered. Nurses should be aware of the ways to react in this or that situation. Importantly, the set of regulations should be reviewed yearly. I am committed to get involved in development of regulations in my future working place.
Reference List
Amer, K.S. (2013). Quality and safety for transformational nursing: Core competencies. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Web.
Bimal, S., Kalia, R., Singhi, S., & Kaur, S. (2009). Development of nursing management protocol for pediatric emergencies. Nursing and Midwifery Research Journal, 5(2), 101-106. Web.
Ranse, J., Shaban Z.R., Considine, J., Hammad, K., Arbon, P., Mitchell, B., & Lenson, S. (2013). Disaster content in Australian tertiary postgraduate emergency nursing courses: A survey. Australian Emergency Nursing Journal, 16(1), 58-63. Web.
Sullivan, E.J. (2012). Effective leadership and management in nursing. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Web.