Health Medical Homework Help

For this week’s discussion, you are asked to research a technological or human induced disaster.

Here you want to look at situations such as radiological, nuclear accidents, technological disasters (electromagnetic pulse), and hazardous material spills.

In your post, provide the name of the incident you have chosen, and support your answers with evidence/examples. Please provide a working link and a citation for your source(s).

Select 2 of the items below to discuss:

1. At what point does a technological or man made event become labeled a disaster?
2. Name and explain the impact categories associated with your disaster.
3. How well do you think the United States is prepared for a disaster like the one you selected?
4. Discuss the factors that can influence the effects a disaster may have on a community or region.
5. What nursing interventions would be a priority for these victims?
6. What community resources should be provided to the victims for follow up needs?

Support your answer with evidence from scholarly sources.

In your peer replies, suggest different ways to handle these types of disasters and the lessons learned by the professionals who handled these disasters.

Peer 1: Fukushima Daiichi Accident

1. At what point does a technological or man made event become labeled a disaster?
   1. The American College of Emergency Physicians defines disaster as “when the destructive effects of natural or man-made forces overwhelm the ability of a given area or community to meet the demand for health care.” (https://www.acep.org/) The World Health Organization defines it as “a sudden ecologic phenomenon of sufficient magnitude to require external assistance” (Zibulewsky, 2001). Both define a disaster based on how it affects the people in the immediate area. This incident in Japan caused by a triple effect of an eartquake, tsunami, and a nuclear explosion caused the mass evacuation of millions of people
2. What nursing interventions would be a priority for these victims?
   1. Priority nursing interventions used during the Fukushima Daiichi accident included reducing the anxiety of patients, ackowledging that there will be victims with injuries from the earthquake and also drowning victims from the tsunami. The explosion would also cause nurses to be prepared to treat anyone coming in with radiation burns and even smoke inhalation. Nurses should know all evacuation plans of the hospital and know how to get patients to safety if they are in the blast radius, epicenter of the earthquake, or get patients to higher ground if the tsunami can reach the hospital. These situations call for all healthcare professionals to communicate effectively to save and help as many people as they can because things can happen very quickly.

      Peer 2: In 2020, a massive explosion occurred in a port in Beirut, when a warehouse that was storing ammonium nitrate was ignited. How the material within the warehouse was ignited is still under investigation, but it was discovered that it had been stored at the warehouse for more than six years, prompting investigations as to why it was never disposed of safely (Osseeiran & Coles, 2020).

      • Discuss the factors that can influence the effects a disaster may have on a community or region.

      One factor that can influence the impact of a disaster is the area of where it occurs. Beirut is the capital city of Lebanon, and the effects of the explosion were devastating: “137 people were killed and 5,000 wounded” and “more than 300,000 people have been displaced from their homes” (Macaya, 2020). Another factor is the law or regulations of the area, in this case as to how to dispose of hazardous materials. It was discovered that a vessel carrying the ammonium nitrate was docked at the port but abandoned there, and local authorities transferred it from the port to the warehouse (Osseeiran & Coles, 2020). More stringent laws on disposing the materials might’ve played a role in preventing the disaster. The country is also struggling economically and with political unrest, which makes the disaster have a greater effect on the community.

      • What nursing interventions would be a priority for these victims?

      Some priority interventions would be the immediate safety of those trapped under rubble, caused by the shockwave of the explosion. Interventions might include searching for possible survivors right away. An ash cloud also blanketed the area (Osseeiran & Coles, 2020), which would require those in the vicinity of the ash to be evacuated, since breathing in the ash is harmful and impairs breathing.