Disaster Recovery Plan

Develop a disaster recovery plan to lessen health disparities and improve access to community services after a disaster. Then, develop and record an 8-10 slide presentation of the plan with audio for the Vila Health system, city officials, and the disaster relief team.

Professional Context

Nurses fulfill a variety of roles, and their diverse responsibilities as health care providers extend to the community. The decisions we make daily and in times of crisis often involve the balancing of human rights with medical necessities, equitable access to services, legal and ethical mandates, and financial constraints. When an unanticipated event occurs, such as an accident or natural disaster, issues can arise that complicate decisions about meeting the needs of an individual or group, including understanding and upholding their rights and desires, mediating conflict, and applying established ethical and legal standards of nursing care. As a nurse, you must be knowledgeable about disaster preparedness to safeguard those in your care. You are also accountable for promoting equitable quality of care for community residents.

This assessment provides an opportunity for you to apply the concepts of emergency preparedness, public health assessment, triage, management, and surveillance after a disaster. You will also focus on hospital evacuation and extended displacement periods.

Demonstration of Proficiency

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

• Competency 1: Analyze health risks and health care needs among distinct populations.
  • Describe the determinants of health and the cultural, social, and economic barriers that impact safety, health, and disaster recovery efforts in a community.
• Competency 2: Propose health promotion strategies to improve the health of populations.
  • Present specific, evidence-based strategies to overcome communication barriers and enhance interprofessional collaboration to improve disaster recovery efforts.
• Competency 3: Evaluate health policies, based on their ability to achieve desired outcomes.
  • Explain how health and governmental policy affect disaster recovery efforts.
• Competency 4: Integrate principles of social justice in community health interventions.
  • Explain how a proposed disaster recovery plan will lessen health disparities and improve access to community services.
• Competency 5: Apply professional, scholarly communication strategies to lead health promotion and improve population health.
  • Present a compelling case to community stakeholders to obtain their approval and support for a proposed disaster recovery plan.

Note: Complete the assessments in this course in the order in which they are presented.

Preparation

When disaster strikes, community members must be protected. A comprehensive recovery plan, guided by the MAP-IT (Mobilize, Assess, Plan, Implement, Track) framework, is essential to help ensure everyone’s safety. The unique needs of residents must be assessed to lessen health disparities and improve access to equitable services after a disaster. Recovery efforts depend on the appropriateness of the plan, the extent to which key stakeholders have been prepared, and the allocation of available resources. In a time of cost containment, when personnel and resources may be limited, the needs of residents must be weighed carefully against available resources.

In this assessment, you are a member of a community task force responsible for developing a disaster recovery plan for the Vila Health community using MAP-IT, which you will present to city officials and the disaster relief team.

To prepare for the assessment, complete the Vila Health: Disaster Recovery Scenario simulation. In addition, you are encouraged to complete the Disaster Preparedness and Management activity.

Begin thinking about:

• Community needs.
• Resources, personnel, budget, and community makeup.
• People accountable for implementation of the disaster recovery plan.
• Healthy People 2020 goals.
• A timeline for the recovery effort.

You may also wish to:

• Review the MAP-IT (Mobilize, Assess, Plan, Implement, Track) framework, which you will use to guide the development of your plan:
  • Mobilize collaborative partners.
  • Assess community needs.
  • Plan to lessen health disparities and improve access to services.
  • Implement a plan to reach Healthy People 2020 objectives.
  • Track community progress.
• Review the assessment instructions and scoring guide to ensure that you understand the work you will be asked to complete.