 |
Terrorism is not a new problem; there have
been countless examples throughout history. Biological, chemical
and radiological threats, as well as more conventional explosives
and arms have long been used against specific populations
to further political, social and religious objectives.
Oklahoma City, OK, April 26, 1995 -- Search
and Rescue crews work to save those trapped beneath the
debris, following the Oklahoma City bombing. FEMA News
Photo; courtesy of FEMA.
|
Despite the countless examples of terrorism throughout
the world, including in the US, it was the attacks of
September 11, 2001 that prompted Americans and the US
government to focus on preparing for potential biological,
chemical and radiological terrorism. In 2005 the State
of Nevada issued The
State of Nevada Hazardous Materials Emergency Response
Plan that has, or will have, plans for emergency
response for biological, chemical and radiological emergencies.
Healthcare organizations have responded by creating
specific plans for how to respond to such emergencies
and to make sure that their plans coordinate and integrate
with local, state and federal public health and law
enforcement agencies. Professionals are urged to seek
out and follow such plans in their healthcare organizations.
In support the public's reliance on healthcare providers'
knowledge about responding to acts of biological, chemical
and radiological terrorism, the 2003 Nevada legislature
passed Assembly Bill 250. This law requires that select
healthcare professionals, including nurses, take four
hours of continuing education "relating to the medical
consequences of an act of terrorism that involves the
use of a weapon of mass destruction."
|
Beginning January 1, 2005, all nurses renewing their
licenses must have completed this four-hour bioterrorism course
as part of their CE renewal requirement. On that date, the
Board's random CE audits began to include auditing for proof
that renewing nurses have completed the bioterrorism course.
The law specifies that the course of instruction must include:
- An overview of acts of terrorism and weapons of mass
destruction;
- Personal protective equipment required for acts of terrorism;
- Common symptoms and methods of treatment associated with
exposure to, or injuries caused by, chemical, biological,
radioactive and nuclear agents;
- Syndromic surveillance and reporting procedures for acts
of terrorism that involve biological agents; and
- An overview of the information available on, and the use
of, the Health Alert Network.
Completing a bioterrorism course which meets the requirements
of the law is a one-time requirement of all registered
nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) with active
Nevada licenses. Once the course is completed, it doesn't
have to be taken again.
The four hours may be counted as part of the 30-hour CE requirement
for RN and LPN renewal, and as part of the 45-hour continuing
education (CE) requirement for advanced practice nurse (APN)
and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) renewal.
While the legislature didn't mandate the course for certified
nursing assistants (CNAs), the Board for Nursing highly encourages
them to take it as part of their 24 hour in-service training
renewal requirement.
NOTE: If you took a bioterrorism course after October
1, 2003 and before January 1, 2005, AND it met the requirements
of the law, the Board will count that course as meeting your
one-time requirement. Just make sure you keep a copy of the
certificate in case you are audited.
Healthcare Professionals Are a Critical
Component of Response
Because of the specialized knowledge and skill of healthcare
professionals, their services are critical in the event of
a biological, chemical or radiological attack. However, as
humans, healthcare professionals are likely to experience
many of the same fears and concerns as their patients. Fears
related to one's own health and safety, as well as the welfare
of loved ones, the condition of one's home and property, responsibilities
to family versus responsibilities to one's patients are among
conflicting feelings that may be experienced.
Being prepared for such possibilities may help healthcare
professionals to manage and mitigate some of these fears.
In addition to the emergency plans that healthcare organizations
have developed to respond to potential emergency situations,
each person and family in the US should prepare a plan for
emergencies. Such plans would have to integrate with others'
plans. For example, families with children would need to integrate
the parents' workplace emergency plans with the plans of their
children's schools and/or daycare providers. The welfare of
pets and those who may be at home must be addressed. Identifying
meeting places or contacts in distant locations with whom
to coordinate should occur; for example, everyone in the family
may know to contact a relative who lives in another state
in the event that phone lines and cell towers in the local
area are impacted. Families should create an emergency kit
in the event of evacuation or the need to shelter in place.
Evacuation and sheltering in place will be covered later in
this course. For more information about the recommended contents
of an emergency kit, go to http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/index.html.
Because an attack from covert release of a biological, chemical
or radiological weapon may not be immediately detectable,
healthcare providers should maintain a high degree of suspicion
and be alert to patterns and diagnostic clues that might indicate
unusual illness outbreaks.
Such outbreaks might include infectious diseases that may
be associated with intentional release of a biologic agent,
as well as the intentional use of chemical or radiological
agents that cause specific patterns of illness. It is imperative
that healthcare providers report any clusters or findings
to their local or state health department (CDC, 2001). These
patterns may include geographic or temporal clustering (e.g.,
persons who attended the same public event or gathering) which
may be indicative of having occurred at a specific time or
event. Another pattern that may emerge is an unusual age distribution
for seemingly common diseases (e.g., an increase in what appears
to be a chickenpox-like illness among adult patients, but
which might be smallpox). A pattern of large numbers of persons
exhibiting similar symptoms of relatively rarely occurring
illnesses should raise suspicions among healthcare providers.
Awareness of and recognition of these patterns of illnesses,
on the part of healthcare providers, is particularly important
because biological agents, unlike chemical agents, may not
be detectable until hours, days or weeks pass.
Indications of intentional release of a biologic agent include
(CDC, 2001):
- An unusual temporal or geographic clustering of illness
or patients presenting with clinical signs and symptoms
that suggest an infectious disease outbreak (e.g., >2 patients
presenting with an unexplained febrile illness associated
with sepsis, pneumonia, respiratory failure, or rash or
a botulism-like syndrome with flaccid muscle paralysis,
especially if occurring in otherwise healthy persons);
- An unusual age distribution for common diseases (e.g.,
an increase in what appears to be a chickenpox-like illness
among adult patients, but which might be smallpox); and
- A large number of cases of acute flaccid paralysis with
prominent bulbar palsies, suggestive of a release of botulinum
toxin.
In addition to being alert to emerging signs and symptoms
within the population, healthcare providers must also become
knowledgeable about how to protect themselves in the event
of a biological, chemical or radiological attack. The specifics
of how healthcare providers must respond in different cases
will vary depending on the nature of the attack, and will
be covered in detail in later sections throughout this course.
Continue on to
|
|
