Case Study 2
Kate is one of several community health nurses workingin a rural hospital. One afternoon, severe thunderstorms movethrough the city, causing large areas to lose electricity. As thestorm worsens, several tornados are spotted around the area. Afterthe storm, it looks as though the entire town has been flattened bythe tornados and flooded by the rapid rainfall. Chaos ensues asresidents realize the massive damage that has occurred. Many cannotfind their loved ones and are panicked by not knowing who hassurvived and who hasn’t.
Which stage of public health prevention should Kateassume? Which actions are taken in this stage?
What is the disaster level described in the case study?Why is this important to know from a nursingperspective?
In response to the disaster, many volunteers arrive tothe area wanting to help. What resources are available to thecommunity to help with the natural disaster?
What could Kate have done prior to the emergency thatmight have decreased the chaos and panic experienced by theresidents?
As the residents clean up after the disaster, there is aprofound sense of loss when they realize that 48 people died duringthe storm. In fact, all the members of one emergency response teamlost their lives trying to rescue a family during the storm. Katehad worked closely with members of this team. How does the recoveryphase address these issues?
Why is it important for Kate to be trained to deal withmental health issues?
