Question 1

A community health nurse is working with a group of people who experienced a tornado and have been forced to leave their homes to escape the effects of a disaster. The nurse assists them in relocating to a shelter in a nearby community based on the understanding that these individuals are considered:

Accepted Answer

Displaced persons are those who have been forced to leave their homes to escape the effects of a disaster. Usually displacement is a temporary condition and involves movement within the person's own country. Indirect victims are the relatives and friends of direct victims. Refugees are direct victims who are forced to leave their homeland, usually due to war, religious persecution, or political turmoil. A casualty is a human being who is injured or killed by or as a direct result of an accident.

Question 2

A community health nurse working as a part of a disaster response team is told that the disaster is classified as a multiple-casualty incident. Which interpretation by the nurse would be most accurate?

Accepted Answer

If casualties number more than 2 people but fewer than 100, the disaster is characterized as a multiple-casualty incident. A mass-casualty incident involves 100 or more casualties.

Question 3

A community health nurse is part of a disaster response team that is first to respond to an earthquake. The team evaluates the level of destruction and devastation at the scene, reporting this information to the person in charge as which finding?

Accepted Answer

The intensity of a disaster is the level of destruction and devastation it causes. The scope of a disaster is the range of its effect, either geographically or in terms of the number of victims. Casualty refers to the human being(s) injured or killed by or as a direct result of an accident.

Question 4

After reading a journal article about disasters, a community health nurse demonstrates understanding of the article by identifying which events as examples of a natural disaster? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Natural disasters are caused by natural events, such as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011 and wildfires that affected California in October 2007. Man-made disasters are those caused by human activity, such as the 2008 shootings at Virginia Tech, the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, and the oil spill in the gulf coast in 2010 that threatened hundreds of species of wildlife.

Question 5

A community health nurse is conducting an in-service presentation for a group of emergency department nurses about disasters. In discussing the topic, the nurse describes the factors that contribute to disasters. The nurse determines that the teaching was successful when the group identifies item as the agent?

Accepted Answer

The agent is the natural or technologic element that causes the disaster. For example, the high winds of a hurricane and the lava of an erupting volcano are agents, as are radiation, industrial chemicals, biologic agents, and bombs. The population's age is an example of host factor. The level of preparedness and flood-prone location are examples of environmental factors.

Question 6

A nurse is working as part of a disaster response team. Which federal agencies would a community health nurse expect to be contacted to assist with a disaster in the United States?

Accepted Answer

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the federal agency responsible for assessing and responding to disaster events in the United States. The American Red Cross is authorized to provide disaster assistance free of charge across the country through its more than 1 million volunteers. It is not supported by the federal government. The World Health Organization's Emergency Relief Operations provide disaster assistance internationally, and the Pan American Health Organization works to coordinate relief efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Question 7

A community health nurse is working as part of a disaster response team which is using the epidemiological triad to address factors contributing to disasters. When implementing this framework, which concept about the environmental factors would be most important for the team to incorporate?

Accepted Answer

Factors that could potentially contribute to or mitigate a disaster are environmental. The agent factor is the natural or technologic element that causes the disaster, for example, the high winds of a hurricane and the lava of an erupting volcano. The host is the human being who experiences the disaster.

Question 8

A community health nurse is working with a community to develop a program for disaster management. The community is currently working on identifying factors in the community placing it at risk. This community is in which phase of disaster management?

Accepted Answer

During the prevention phase, no disaster is expected or anticipated. The task during this phase is to identify community risk factors and to develop and implement programs to prevent disasters from occurring. Disaster preparedness involves improving community and individual reaction and responses, so that the effects of a disaster are minimized. The response phase begins immediately after the onset of the disastrous event. During the recovery phase, the community takes actions to repair, rebuild, or relocate damaged homes and businesses and restore health and economic vitality to the community.

Question 9

A community health nurse is working with a community that is involved with improving community and individual reaction and responses, so that the effects of a disaster are minimized. This community is in which phase of disaster management?

Accepted Answer

Disaster preparedness involves improving community and individual reaction and responses, so that the effects of a disaster are minimized. During the prevention phase, no disaster is expected or anticipated. The task during this phase is to identify community risk factors and to develop and implement programs to prevent disasters from occurring. The response phase begins immediately after the onset of the disastrous event. During the recovery phase, the community takes actions to repair, rebuild, or relocate damaged homes and businesses and restore health and economic vitality to the community.

Question 10

A community health nurse is working as part of a disaster response team for a local community. The team expects to implement the response phase of the disaster management plan at which time?

Accepted Answer

The response phase of disaster occurs immediately after the onset of the disastrous event. During the prevention phase, no disaster is expected or anticipated. Long-term phase occurring after the disastrous event is the recovery phase. The preparedness phase occurs prior to the disastrous event and involves improving community and individual reaction and responses, so that the effects of a disaster are minimized.

Question 11

A community health nurse is working as part of a disaster response team reviewing their disaster management plan as part of the process of improving disaster management. When reviewing this plan, which information would be most important for the team to integrate into their new plan?

Accepted Answer

Disaster planning is essential for a community, business, or hospital. A disaster plan need not be lengthy. A disaster plan need not be lengthy and should be created by all involved, including community leaders, health and safety professionals, and lay people. All nurses should address their own personal preparedness to respond in a disaster, but this may not be assumed.

Question 12

A community health nurse is addressing personal preparedness for a disaster. Which components would be necessary for the nurse to include? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

To be personally prepared, a nurse should have read and understood workplace and community disaster plans, should have developed a disaster plan for the family, and should have participated in disaster drills. Nurses preparing to work in disaster areas should bring copies of their nursing license and driver's license and bring basic equipment.

Question 13

As part of secondary prevention during a disaster response, the community health nurse engages in crisis intervention to achieve which effect?

Accepted Answer

The stated goal of crisis intervention is to reestablish equilibrium. Prevention is the best approach, but some crises, such as natural disasters, cannot be prevented. However, preparation can help to decrease the negative effects of the crisis as much as possible. It is important to have an adequate number of people needed to come to resolution. However, too many people involved in resolution may cause additional confusion, chaos, and unnecessary delays. Triage decisions need to be made during the response phase of the disaster or crisis and not deferred until the recovery phase. Triage is an ongoing process throughout the response phase.

Question 14

A community health nurse is engaged in primary prevention activities related to disasters. The nurse would be most likely involved in which activities? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Anticipatory guidance, practicing escape plans, and planning disaster drills all constitute primary prevention activities. Providing emergency assistance and immediate response reflect secondary prevention activities. Reducing the degree of disability or damage resulting from the disaster reflects tertiary level prevention activities.

Question 15

A community health nurse is conducting a program for a local community group about primary prevention activities associated with a terrorist attack involving biologic weapons such as smallpox and anthrax. Which activity would the nurse most likely include in the discussion as being appropriate during the preparedness phase?

Accepted Answer

Primary prevention activities that would occur in the preparedness phase of a terrorist attack involving biologic weapons like smallpox or anthrax would include administering vaccines. Investigating outbreaks to determine the source, screening suspected cases, and treating persons who have been infected would be secondary prevention activities.

Question 16

A community health nurse has been asked by the local community leader to evaluate the community's disaster plan. When reviewing the plan, which items would the nurse most likely expect it to address? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

A disaster plan should address the chain of command, routes and modes of transportation, and triage methods. Basic equipment and licenses are items that a nurse should bring along when preparing to work in a disaster area.

Question 17

A community health nurse is conducting a program for a group of nurses who are members of their community disaster response team. After describing the nurse's role during the rescue response, the community health nurse determines that additional teaching is needed when the group identifies which area as an appropriate location for the nurse?

Accepted Answer

Usually, the immediate disaster site is not the best place for the disaster nurse, who can be far more effective in triage and treatment of victims. One of the lessons of the World Trade Center bombing was that the greatest need for medical professionals was at the local hospitals, not at the disaster site.

Question 18

A nurse is performing triage during a disaster. Assessment reveals that the victim is unconscious and has signs of internal bleeding. The nurse would categorize this victim using which color?

Accepted Answer

During triage, red indicates an urgent or critical situation. The victim has injuries or medical problems that will likely lead to death if not treated immediately, such as an unconscious victim with signs of internal bleeding. Yellow indicates that the person has injuries that require medical attention but time to treatment is not yet critical. Green indicates that the victim has minor injuries or is presenting with minimal signs of illness. Black indicates that the victim is dead or has suffered mortal wounds because of which death is imminent.

Question 19

A community health nurse responding to a disaster is involved with caring for the bodies of the victims who have died. Which method of documentation would be most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Toe tags make documentation visible and accessible and are the most appropriate means for documentation. Making a note on the triage tag, placing the name on a casualty list, and recording the name on the victim's body are inappropriate.

Question 20

A group of nurses had been involved in providing care to victims involved in a bomb blast in the community, resulting in numerous serious injuries and fatalities. The local community will be providing Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) to the nurses. At which time after the event would the community most likely offer this debriefing to be most effective?

Accepted Answer

The ideal time for CISD is between 24 and 72 hours after the disaster event.

Quiz 17: Disasters and Their Impact