International Conference on Disaster Nursing

We are pleased to announce that Dr Veenema will be giving the keynote presentation for the 2nd International Conference on Disaster Nursing - Daejeon, Korea (Nov 13-14th, 2010). Dr Veenema will also be hosting breakout sessions on disaster leadership and team building in support of this year’s conference theme: “Enhancement of Nursing Competency in Disasters”.

This year’s conference is sponsored by the Korean Federation of Science and Technology, the AFNA Endowment Foundation, and the Korean Society of Disaster Nursing.

Elsevier | MC Strategies is pleased to announce the addition of a new module to the award winning ReadyRN: Disaster Nursing and Emergency Preparedness online course. This module, titled “Pandemic Influenza and Novel H1N1 Influenza A”, was created in direct response to the needs of nurses, managers, and people on the front lines of a global flu pandemic.

Drawing on relevant historical lessons and the latest epidemiologic trends and clinical practice guidelines, this new addition to the ReadyRN e-Learning course provides nurses with an essential grounding in the treatment and management of influenza.

Topic Areas

• Biology of Influenza
• Influenza Vaccines
• Vaccination FAQs
• Novel H1N1 Influenza A
• The Start of Novel H1N1 Influenza
• The Spread of Novel H1N1 Influenza
• What Happens Next?
• Lessons Learned from Past Epidemics
• The Current Epidemic
• Clinical Findings: Signs and Symptoms
• Transmission
• Infection Period
• Novel H1N1 Influenza Vaccine
• Anti-Viral Medications
• Implementation of Prevention and Control Measures in Healthcare Settings
• Surveillance, Education, and Influenza Testing
• Antiviral Chemoprophylaxis
• Respiratory Hygiene/Cough Etiquette
• Standard Precautions
• Droplet Precautions
• Restrictions for Symptomatic Visitors and Healthcare Personnel
• Caring for Infected Individuals
• Which Patients Should Be Tested?

Please visit our online course page for more information about
ReadyRN: Disaster Nursing and Emergency Preparedness.

Screen Shot from the Site Launch

We are pleased to welcome you to the newly revamped public site for the ReadyRN curriculum and associated disaster nursing and emergency preparedness materials. Please take a moment to browse around the site or click the image for this story for a full listing of new features. Thanks for visiting!

Come meet the ReadyRN team and learn about the latest developments to the ReadyRN Clinical Decision Support Software (CDSS) at this year’s 137th annual American Public Health Association (APHA) meeting in Philadelphia (November 7th - 11th, 2009).

Tener Veenema and Adam Rains will be presenting “Clinical Decision Support for Nurses: Restoring Public Health Following a Disaster” (session 5131.0: Toxic Water and Human Health) on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 [10:30 AM-12:00 PM] Howe, 33rd floor. Please visit the APHA web site for full details and meeting information.

Clinical Decision Support for Nurses:
Restoring Public Health Following a Disaster

Background & Issues: Nurses responding to the needs of populations affected by disasters require rapid assessment skills and knowledge of the basic tenets of environmental health, methods of health promotion, disease identification, and prevention strategies. All individuals affected by disasters must have their basic physiologic needs met in a timely manner for survival.

Description: Evidence-based software for disaster nursing decision making that establishes priorities and restores public health including minimum standards for water, food, sanitation, shelter, and vector control is presented. Recent historical examples of water contamination & its health consequences is proposed. A management matrix for outbreaks of food borne illness is described.

Lessons Learned from recent U.S. disasters:

1. Populations affected by a disaster experience diminished environmental conditions that put them at risk for negative health outcomes.
2. Basic physiologic needs must be met in a timely manner to ensure survival.
3. The establishment, implementation and continuous monitoring of minimum standards for water safety, food safety, sanitation, shelter, and personal hygiene provides a firm foundation for health promotion.
4. Infectious disease outbreaks usually occur in the post-impact and recovery phases of a disaster.
5. Clinical decision support software can increase nurses knowledge of diseases endemic to the disaster area.
6. The EPA and World Health Organization Guidelines for Food Safety should be used in response planning.
7. Working as members of an interdisciplinary disaster response team, nurses must be able to detect environmental changes that can increase the potential for the spread of infectious disease.

Recommendations: Clinical decision support software can provide nurses with the knowledge and skill set needed to participate in restoring public health in a shelter or in a community following a disaster event.

In support of the conference theme “Water and Public Health”, several water quality and water-related features of the system will be demonstrated.

From the “Save the Date” announcement:

The VA’s Office of Nursing Services, in conjunction with the New York Harbor and the Miami VA HealthCare System, extends an invitation to our Disaster Nursing and Emergency Preparedness satellite teleconference, September 11th, 2009 from 12:00-3:00 PM EST.

Our guest speaker, Tener Veenema, PhD, RN, MPH, will be presenting “Preparing for Influenza: Pandemic Flu and Novel H1N1″. Dr Veenema is a nationally acclaimed researcher and has published on Emergency Nursing and Disaster Preparedness.

We are happy to announce that the archived version of Dr Veenema’s GE Healthcare Webcast Series presentation, “Disaster Preparedness: Best Practices for Protocols and Tools to Remain Sharp”, is now available online through the GE Healthcare site. This lecture provides an introduction to the ReadyRN campaign for nurse disaster preparedness; discussion on how to keep protocols “alive” and not just written and collecting dust.

To view this presentation, or any of the other excellent seminars in this series, please visit GE Healthcare online at:

http://emergencycare.gehealthcare.com/ (free registration)

From the Announcement

Webcast Overview

Nurses play a major role in responding to disaster events and disease outbreaks, in managing their victims - and more importantly - in ensuring the best possible outcomes. Nurses must be READY to act quickly and competently! In order to do so, nurses should be aware of our current level of our national preparedness, the role of nurses during a disaster, and the types of events that may result in a sudden, unanticipated surge of patients.

ReadyRN: Making Every Nurse a Prepared Nurse is a multi-faceted national initiative designed to help hospitals, health departments, and community health organizations prepare their nursing workforce with the knowledge needed to care for and protect themselves and their patients during any type of disaster event or major public health emergency. ReadyRN keeps nurses safe so that they can keep patients safe.

This innovative educational program conducted in partnership with Elsevier/MC Strategies is designed to prepare nurses in a systematic way with evidence based best practices to respond to catastrophic disasters, mass casualty events and public health emergencies. The ReadyRN Program is consistent with the National Response Framework, the National Incident Management System, and the CDC competencies for emergency preparedness.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this webcast participants will be able to:

1. Describe our current level of national emergency preparedness and its implications for the profession of nursing.
2. Define and distinguish between the major types of disasters based on their unique characteristics and health implications.
3. Discuss the role of the nurse in all phases in emergency and disaster planning: preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery and evaluation.
4. Present a selection of tools from the ReadyRN program as tools for nurses to use for disaster preparedness, disaster triage, and for altered standards of care during disaster events, such as emerging infectious disease and pandemic influenza.

ReadyRN was developed by Tener Goodwin Veenema, RN, PhD, MPH, MS, FNAP, a nationally recognized expert in emergency nursing and disaster preparedness, and has been adopted by the National American Red Cross as their standard for preparing nurses and disaster health services volunteers across the country.

International Association of Visual Artists

Atlanta, GA – Elsevier / MC Strategies, a pioneer in providing e-learning solutions to over 1,300 healthcare organizations nationwide, is proud to announce that the ReadyRN e-Learning course was named as a winner of the 2009 Communicator Awards presented by the International Academy of the Visual Arts (IAVA).  With thousands of entries received from across the US and around the world, the Communicator Awards is the largest and most competitive awards program honoring the creative excellence for communications professionals.

More from the Elsevier / MC Strategies Press Release (June 10, 2009):

The “ReadyRN: Disaster Nursing and Emergency Preparedness” course was entered into this year’s competition in the area of corporate training and was the winner of the gold Award of Excellence in Interactive Media.

“We are truly honored to have been named among the winners in this year’s Communicator Awards competition,” said Barbara Nelson Cullen, Vice President of Healthcare e-Learning for Elsevier / MC Strategies. “Winning these awards reflects our continued commitment to excellence in healthcare e-Learning and the mission and values of Elsevier.”

The Communicator Awards are judged and overseen by the International Academy of the Visual Arts (IAVA), an organization made up of more than 450 leading professionals from various disciplines of the visual arts dedicated to embracing progress and the evolving nature of traditional and interactive media.

“The quality, creativity and execution of this year’s work is a true testament to the talents and abilities of communications professionals from around the world.  The entries received reflect an increasingly diversified industry and the work once again sets the bar extremely high,” noted Linda Day, director of the IAVA.  She added, “On behalf of the entire Academy, we are honored to have once again judged the 15th Annual Communicator Awards and we are proud to honor the outstanding communications professionals who continue to push a high standard of excellence.”

In support of the latest revision to the ReadyRN: Disaster Nursing and Emergency Preparedness online course, Elsevier - MC Strategies has produced an updated version of the printable course description document. You can download a copy using the link shown below or click here to read more about the course. 

ReadyRN: DISASTER NURSING AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
WHEN A DISASTER HITS, NURSES MUST BE READY

When disaster strikes, nurses must be ready and able to respond quickly and competently to an array of sudden, new demands, whether it’s triaging casualties, assisting with life-saving care, or helping ensure positive patient outcomes across a wide range of injuries and conditions. Elsevier/MC Strategies can help prepare your nursing staff to meet these challenges with ReadyRN: Disaster Nursing and Emergency Preparedness, the healthcare industry’s only comprehensive online disaster readiness course developed specifically for nurses. ReadyRN provides current, competency-based content that is appropriate for nurses across the healthcare spectrum — including those working in acute care environments, outpatient settings, and state and federal agencies… (keep reading)

View/Download ReadyRN Course Description

Press Release issued November 7th, 2007
American Red Cross, National Headquarters, Washington D.C.

Dr. Tener Goodwin Veenema, author of Red Cross ReadyRN Curriculum for Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness, and the American Red Cross launched nationwide on November 7th, 2007 the Red Cross ReadyRN Curriculum. The Curriculum is an introductory, awareness-level program, adopted by the National American Red Cross as its  standard for education and training for all disaster and health services clinicians and volunteers. Red Cross ReadyRN Curriculum will be located on the Red Cross online learning management system that will be accessed this year by local and regional Red Cross chapters.

Opening Screen from the Red Cross ReadyRN Online Course

Red Cross ReadyRN Curriculum for Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness Project Summary

• Red Cross ReadyRN Curriculum for Disaster Nursing and Emergency Preparedness is an educational initiative conducted in partnership with the American Red Cross Disaster Health Services designed to prepare American Red Cross nurses to respond in a timely and appropriate manner to major disasters and public health emergencies.
• The Red Cross ReadyRN Curriculum was authored and developed by Tener Goodwin Veenema, PhD, MPH, MS, CPNP, FNAP, a nationally recognized expert emergency nursing and disaster preparedness, and will be available to Red Cross nurses only, through the password protected learning management system.
• Red Cross ReadyRN is but one component of a larger national educational initiative called ReadyRN: Making Every Nurse a Prepared Nurse developed by Dr. Veenema and now marketed nation wide by Elsevier/MC Strategies. The goal of the ReadyRN national initiative is to provide every nurse in America with the knowledge and skill set needed to care for and protect themselves and their patients during any type of disaster event or public health emergency.
• Dr. Veenema collaborated with a wonderful group of American RedCross Nurses to specifically customize the content to create an awareness level curriculum consistent with the disaster health services protocols of the American Red Cross, providing Red Cross with a curriculum that meets the unique response needs of their nurses and enhancing their ability to prepare for and respond to complex public health emergencies in communities across the U.S.
• Red Cross ReadyRN is a major recruitment and retention initiative for the American Red Cross, and is reflective of their renewed commitment to nurses following the devastating effects of Hurrican Katrina.