|
|
|
|
|
Margaret Avila, RN/NP, MSN, MS, Public Health Nursing Administration, Los Angeles County, 241 N. Figueroa St. Room 347, Los Angeles, CA 90012, 213-240-8089, mavila@dhs.co.la.ca.us and Dickson Diamond, MD, Bioterrorism Preparedness Program, County of Los Angeles Public Health, 3530 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010.
Nationwide much public health effort has been expended in disaster preparation that includes increasing public awareness, stockpiling supplies and equipment. Less attention has been given to the stressors that public health workers may experience and which may affect the readiness to actually respond. The County of Los Angeles has begun the process of developing an approach to these crucial issues of staff readiness. This presentation will describe a proposed three part approach: 1. Focus groups with selected PH staff starting with nursing which number about 800. The meetings would cover information/education related to BT agents and expected roles/duties. Allocated time will be provided for staff to express concerns that might influence their willingness/readiness to respond. The groups would be led by either a psychiatrist or a licensed clinical social worker. 2. Managers and supervisors would be another cohort. The focus would be to increase awareness of stressors on staff during an incident, how to assess staff and how to respond to warning signs of stress that occur now in the normal course of public health work and then enhance ability to do the same in case of an event. In L.A. PH nursing this cohort would be about 100. 3. The third dimension would be the incorporation of mental health awareness into the existing public health infrastructure with inclusion of mental health awareness into new employee orientation, policy development for dealing with time off for stress, post incident debriefing, support for those affected and prevention of post traumatic stress disorder.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Bioterrorism, Public Health Nursing
Related Web page: www.lapubichealth.org/phn
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.