Influenza and H 1 N 1 Flu Outbreak Essay

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Running Head: Emergency Operating Center 1

Emergency Operating Center Sandra Cummings NURS 4010 Section 02, Family, Community, and Population-Based Care March 24, 2013

Emergency Operating Center 2 During the flu season of 2009 the outbreak of H1N1 infected our county. This new strain of flu rapidly met pandemic status with infected patients. The purpose of this paper it to display the characteristic involved in emergency preparedness with pandemic status. The choice of disaster is the H1N1 flu pandemic affect on the citizens of this county in
Illinois. The background on the H1N1 flu outbreak previously named swine influenza A. That it is easily transmissible among humans. First identified in April 2009 with cases in the
United States and Mexico. (www.cdc.gov) the name change from swine flu to H1N1 (effective immediately per Director of Homeland Security, the use of the term “swine flu” is immediately discontinued it should only be referred to as “H1N1 flu outbreak.”) (www.dhs.gov) Redefining the swine flu to H1N1 flu outbreak appears as a public relations intervention. It seems the intention of relieving the public that the flu virus was not related to the farm animal pig would decrease the possibility of hysteria. Nurses role in H1N1 flu outbreak were to follow nursing-sensitive indicators with assessment results matching guidelines provided by the county health department/community health center. Community health nurses prepared the public through educating visiting nurses, school nurses, long term care facilities, clinics and acute health care facilities. The public was made aware of H1N1 virus signs and symptoms through media, pamphlets, postal service, email and any other outlet necessary. The structure of reporting cases through numbers to the CDC was adjusted to focus surveillance of acute cases after the conformation of 7 cases in the Illinois County. CDC updates with patient infected outcomes continued especially with major developments.
(www. lakecountyil.gov/health) This restructuring allowed community health nurses to monitor disease trends of transmission through host, environment and agent. The data collection through electronic medical records increased the advantage with analysis to the source/point of entry.

Emergency Operating Center 3 The main responders are nurses working in disasters and emergency preparedness.
Registered nurses are often the single largest group of responders in any major disaster. To date, nursing’s response has not necessarily been coordinated or managed within the traditional disaster planning and response frame (Peterson, 2006). Registered nurses are prepared to administer patient care with most disasters that have injured citizens. Following nursing standards of care, nurses can triage patients and categorize them by serious, critical and life threatening injuries with disasters. Collaborating with other health care professionals a triage area for stabilizing, categorizing and transport to the nearest designated acute healthcare facility. Controlling or organizing the chaotic atmosphere during a disaster is one of the main strategies with health care professionals in survival of casualties, this is part of the protocol. Being prepared is mandatory for registered nurses when they have registered to serve as a volunteer disaster responder. (Peterson, 2006) states it is important to evaluate your level of commitment to serving as a
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