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Coursera - Disaster Preparedness

Posted By: groovebeat

Date: 14 Apr 2014 13:54:59

Disaster Preparedness

During this course, students will gain an understanding of the Disaster Cycle, concentrating on the Mitigation Phase. They will examine disaster planning on a personal level developing a disaster plan and examine Awareness and Attitude during disasters and daily life.

About the Course

This course will teach the student how to survive when everything we normally take for granted is gone, when the structures we depend on have failed. We will examine the Disaster Cycle, particularly the Mitigation and Recovery phases. Students will prepare an extensive personal preparedness plan covering such topics as supplies, communication, food and water, shelter, security, and comfort (yes even in survival there can and should be comfort). We also look at preparedness on the institutional and government levels.

We will look beyond these plans towards the one aspect of survival, which will enable a person to survive when all planning has failed. Disasters, by definition, overwhelm all available resources. If all available resources are gone, only one thing will keep a person alive and that is their attitude. A persons awareness and attitude, the two are closely linked, allow a person the means to remain calm, avoid panic, and draw upon resources within and outside the person to survive when their world has failed. In truth not everyone survives in extreme circumstances; people die, but, even in death, attitude, if it cannot save you, provides some degree or comfort.

Course Syllabus

Disaster Preparedness: How we mitigate the effects of disasters on a personal, institutional, and governmental levels

During this course, students will gain an understanding of the Disaster Cycle, concentrating on the Mitigation Phase. They will examine disaster planning on a personal level, including developing a personal or family disaster plan. Institutional and governmental planning will be examined to gain an understanding of the process, the difficulties involved, as well as the successes and failings. Other issues to be discussed include: Attitude and Awareness, ethical considerations, violence, and compassion in light of the realities of disasters and their effects. The course will be designed to be interactive and include a great deal of input and discussion from the students.

Upon completion of this class, the student will be able to:

Discuss the elements of disaster preparation and response.
Demonstrate critical thinking in awareness, preparation and application of disaster response and management on a personal, local and national level.
Utilize critical thinking and psychomotor skills in the assessment of potential disaster and mass casualty situations.
Analyze the implementation of evidence-based, holistic, cost effective planning for disaster and mass casualty situations.
Analyze ethical dilemmas encountered in the specialty setting and the methods by which advanced practice nurses assist the patient, family and other health care providers with resolution.

Content will include:

The Disaster Cycle and its evolution
Personal preparedness
Communication
Security
Supplies and other stuff
Shelter, Food and Water
Comfort
Preparedness on the level of institutions and governments
Ethical considerations including Justice and the distribution of resources, Utilitarianism, and person responsibility
Factors which limit mitigation such as personal freedom and financial considerations
Examples and realities from disaster response such as Memorial Hospital after Hurricane Katrina and personal experiences from the faculty
Attitude and Awareness

Recommended Background

No specific background is required, all with a willingness to participate and learn are welcome.