Targeting prenatal emergency preparedness through childbirth education.

The lack of emergency preparedness planning remains problematic for families, but there is a special concern for prenatal women and families. This article proposes childbirth education as one avenue through which nurses can engage families to prepare for a disaster. Template guides and references are included for community-specific emergency preparedness education for childbearing families. Critical issues unique to childbearing women and newborns related to evacuation, sheltering, birthing in place, and mental health are addressed.

Experiences of nurse leaders surviving Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

Hurricane Katrina left New Orleans, Louisiana, USA destroyed by its impact on 29 August 2005. Working during a hurricane was nothing new to these authors. Having lived in New Orleans all our lives, we were used to preparing our homes and our families to weather the storm. Nurses are in leadership positions before, during, and after any disaster. Nurses are called upon to report to duty, leaving their loved ones to care for themselves while the nurses care for the sick and frail in unbelievably difficult situations. The purpose of this article is to share our experiences as nurse survivors during Hurricane Katrina, reflecting on 10 major aspects of disaster planning from the perspective of the "Then" (during the storm) and the "Now" (current recommendations).

Improvements in disaster planning and directions for nursing management.

Since Hurricane Katrina, there have been numerous lessons learned and improvements in disaster planning and nursing management. The subsequent Hurricane Gustav allowed nurses and disaster planners to "test the system" and identify improvements that worked and did not. The authors outline those improvements and give direction for change and further improvements.

Evacuation of a maternal-newborn area during Hurricane Katrina.

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall and inflicted devastation across the Gulf Coast. The catastrophic hurricane and flooding from failed levees in New Orleans made this event the most destructive natural and man-made disaster to occur in the United States' history (White House, 2006). Such a massive disaster challenged survival for everyone in its path, including patients and healthcare professionals. This hurricane challenged the usual standards of care and disaster management strategies well beyond what we had ever prepared for or experienced. The city of New Orleans was under 8 to 12 feet of water. Memorial Medical Center, located in one of the lowest sections of the city, quickly became isolated from everyone and everything. The challenges that nurses faced during the 6 days after the disaster were arduous and multifaceted. Nurses had no choice but to be creative and flexible and improvise by using what limited resources were available. Nurses were not able to provide care in the typical patient care environment because patients were relocated to multiple areas of the hospital, the ER ramp, and the parking garage to await evacuation. The temperature soared to 110 degrees F, and evacuation efforts were chaotic and disorganized. This article describes the heroic efforts of a strong and cohesive nursing team in caring for our patients and providing for the evacuation of 16 critically ill newborns from the Level 3 regional neonatal intensive care unit and 5 well newborns and their mothers.

Neonatal nursing care issues following a natural disaster: lessons learned from the Katrina experience.

The massive evacuation of sick and at-risk infants from a large metropolitan area following a natural disaster provides many lessons for neonatal nurses. Planning and education are of utmost importance, and disaster education and training are essential for all nurses. Unit-specific disaster plans can serve as a guide for nurses but the real test occurs during and after the event. Nurses must learn to adapt neonatal care to the rapidly changing environment during a disaster. Supporting high-risk infants without the aid of technology requires a back-to-the-basics approach. The ability to maintain communication and facilitate transportation of neonates out of a disaster area is essential. Nurses must also consider their own well-being in the aftermath of a disaster. Planning for future disasters should include lessons learned from the past events. This article addresses nursing care issues and lessons learned from the events that unfolded in the New Orleans area neonatal units during and after Hurricane Katrina, and guidance in support of disaster education for neonatal nurses.

Management responsibilities in the retirement village industry: a New Zealand study.

The Retirement Village/Rest Home industry is growing rapidly. Many of those fulfilling managerial roles within this industry do not appear to have management qualifications or prior managerial experience outside the public sector health system. If the industry is to effectively manage anticipated growth, managers may need to update their qualifications and knowledge base to ensure that they possess the skills and abilities required to meet changing business needs. This paper reports on an exploratory study designed to gather information that identifies the primary duties and responsibilites of retirement village managers and nurse managers, and their essential and desirable skills, attributes, and characteristics.