Ready, aye ready? Support mechanisms for healthcare workers in emergency planning: A critical gap analysis of three hospital emergency plans

Author:

Amaratunga, PhD Carol A.,O’Sullivan, PhD Tracey L.,Phillips, PhD Karen P.,Lemyre, PhD Louise,O’Connor, PhD Eileen,Dow, MSc Darcie,Corneil, ScD Wayne

Abstract

Background: In response to the 2003 global outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and the threat of pandemic influenza, Canadian hospitals have been actively developing and revising their emergency plans. Healthcare workers are a particularly vulnerable group at risk of occupational exposure during infectious disease outbreaks, as seen during SARS and as documented/reported in the recent National Survey of the Work and Health of Nurses (Statistics Canada, 2006). Approximately one third of Canadian nurses identified job strain and poor health, related to their work environment. Three years after SARS, this article presents a critical analysis of the gaps of three hospital pandemic influenza plans in the context of established organizational supports for healthcare workers.Methods: Hospital pandemic influenza plans were obtained from institutional representatives in three Ontario cities. Qualitative gap analysis of these plans was conducted using a checklist of 11 support categories, developed from a review of existing literature and findings from a previous study of focus groups with emergency and critical nurses.Results: Support mechanisms were identified in the plans; however, gaps were evident in preparation for personal protective equipment, education, and informational support, and support during quarantine. Hospital emergency planning could be more robust by including additional organizational supports such as emotional/psychological support services, delineating management responsibilities, human resources, vaccine/ anti-viral planning, recognition/compensation, media strategies, and professional development.Conclusions: Since the 2003 SARS outbreak, hospitals have invested in pandemic planning, as evidenced by the comprehensive plans examined here. Organizational support mechanisms for healthcare workers were included in these hospital plans; however, the gaps identified here may have serious implications for employee health and safety, and overall response during a large scale infectious disease outbreak. The authors provide a number of recommendations for consideration in infectious disease pandemic plan development to better support the healthcare workers in their roles as first responders.

Publisher

Weston Medical Publishing

Subject

Safety Research,Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality,General Medicine,Emergency Medicine

Cited by 3 articles. 订阅此论文施引文献 订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3