The Role of Nurses in Recovery Efforts after Wildfire Disaster - Assignment Example

 The Role of Nurses in Recovery Efforts after Wildfire Disaster Recovery Priorities After a wildfire disaster, victims need immediate help as well as long-term recovery efforts. Nurses play a critical role in the recovery effort as highlighted in the case of Wayne. Evidently, a wildfire disaster can leave a community devastated and traumatized. In other cases, wildfires result to different levels of injuries. In the case of Wayne, the critically injured victims had been transported to hospitals where they could receive the urgent treatment they required.

Therefore, Wayne’s priorities included the assessment of the health needs of other victims. Notably, the rescue team during disasters focuses on classifying the victims according to the level of injury. In this stage, victims with the most critical injuries are accorded more attention. As highlighted in Wayne’s case, the response phase was over (Baack & Alfred, 2013). In the recovery phase, nurses need to play a significant role in assessing the diverse health needs of the affected community.

The affected community may present emotional and psychological effects triggered by the disaster. Therefore, Wayne needs to undertake a critical assessment of the people’s health needs. He needs to determine the victims with minor injuries, who did not receive first aid. He should determine the kind of care they need and help them appropriately. In addition, he should embark on accessing the emotional effects of the wildfire, identifying the outstanding psychological needs. The main objective that should be achieved in the recovery phase is the promotion of the community’s safety and the promotion of the healing process after the trauma caused by the wildfire.

In order to achieve this, Wayne should ensure that he assesses the health needs of his community. Since Wayne is a member of the community, it will prove easier for him to interact with the people and carry out a positive assessment. The recovery priorities should depend on the needs of the community members, without any bias regarding friends and family members.Victims that Require a Crisis Intervention According to previous research, it is evident that children and adolescents define the most the vulnerable groups that require crisis intervention.

Children who face wildfires are likely to exhibit behavioral aspects such as anxiety, fear, nightmares, depression, acting out and guilt. Therefore, they require immediate intervention so that the trauma does not affect their development. Since children do not understand the factors that trigger disasters, they are less likely to cope easily. Whereas adults are able to cope with the disaster in a short while, children and adolescents need expertise intervention and guidance (Maurer & Smith, 2013).

Major Health Concerns after the WildfireA wildfire results in smoker from trees exposing people to particulate matter and different toxins. These contaminants in smoke are likely to cause respiratory diseases. Wayne should identify this as a major health concern. In addition, the contaminants from wildfires may also cause cardiovascular, psychiatric, and ophthalmic complications. Different levels of burns may also poser the risk of organ failure. Victims may face direct or indirect burns, which may affect various organs, compelling them to seek treatment.

Air contamination that results from wildfires serves as a health threat to a community.ReferencesBaack, S., & Alfred, D. (2013). Nurses' Preparedness and Perceived Competence in Managing Disasters. Journal Of Nursing Scholarship, 45(3), 281-287. doi:10.1111/jnu.12029Maurer, F. A., & Smith, C. M. (2013). Community as Client. In F.A & C.M, Smith Community/public health nursing practice: Health for families and populations (p. 393). St. Louis, Mo: Elsevier/Saunders.