Overview

Educating nurses to be able to respond swiftly, competently, and decisively to any disaster or major public health emergency is vital to helping ensure positive patient outcomes across a wide range of injuries and conditions. Moreover, research has shown that healthcare workers who are properly educated and prepared for emergencies are far more likely to respond in times of crisis.

ReadyRN: Disaster Nursing and Emergency Preparedness from Elsevier | MC Strategies,  is an online continuing education course that prepares nurses for major public health emergencies, including infectious disease outbreaks, natural disasters, as well as biological, chemical, and radiological events. The course provides essential education that nurses need to be able to effectively handle a disaster or major catastrophic event, and will:

• Provide a solid educational foundation for all nurses to be able to respond quickly and competently to an array of sudden, new demands.
• Enhance the personal safety of nurses and their patients when responding to a disaster or public health emergency.
• Create an awareness of the implications of disasters and public health emergencies for the profession of nursing.
• Appreciate the risks to health, safety, and well-being created by various hazards.
• Motivate nurses to prepare both personally and professionally for disasters and public health emergencies.

Content and Coverage

The ReadyRN online course includes several unique resources, including a personal family disaster planning guide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention core competencies for public health preparedness, and links to supplemental disaster resources highlighting key program topics. The course content is consistent with recognized governmental and industry response standards, including:

• Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) all-hazards approach
• National Response Framework
• National Incident Management System (NIMS)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for clinical response to public health emergencies

Each of the 26 online lessons included with ReadyRN: Disaster Nursing and Emergency Preparedness is rich in interactivity and contains a variety of multimedia elements, including captivating photographs from real-life disasters and public health emergencies to provide additional insight into disaster planning and response.  Case studies tied to problem-solving learning activities provide realistic scenarios that help strengthen decision-making and critical thinking at the point of care, and the course offers 23.5* continuing education nursing contact hours.

Anywhere/Anytime Learning

Like all of Elsevier | MC Strategies’ e-learning courses, the ReadyRN: Disaster Nursing and Emergency Preparedness course offers unmatched flexibility by enabling self-paced, anytime/anywhere learning.  This flexibility helps eliminate scheduling conflicts.  Staff educators and administrators can track the learner’s progress, view testing results, and custom-continuing education program to meet individual staff needs. Transcripts and other related documentation are produced and retained for administrative record keeping through Elsevier | MC Strategies’ Learning Management System, which is specifically designed for healthcare settings and now offers education to over 2.5 million users.

Healthcare organizations, state, and federal agencies must be prepared disastrous events.  ReadyRN: Disaster Nursing and Emergency Preparedness, the healthcare industry’s only comprehensive online disaster readiness course developed specifically for nurses, will help prepare nurses to meet challenges presented in times of emergency with confidence.