Provider: American Red Cross / Disaster Resistant Communities Group LLC

Course Purpose: This course provides disaster health services response content specific to Red Cross sheltering through a two-part course. Although the course is designed for nursing students, it can also be used to orient Red Cross partners (e.g., Medical Reserve Corps or public health nurses) to shelter operations in the communities where they are located. Specifically, Red Cross Disaster Health and Sheltering acquaints pre-licensure nursing students with volunteering on disaster relief operations, especially in the shelter environment.

Course Description: Disaster Health and Sheltering is an introductory two-part awareness course. Part I is an online Independent Study and Part II is an Interactive Classroom Tabletop Exercise. The course orients pre-licensure nursing students to the roles and responsibilities of a Disaster Health Services (HS) volunteer. Nursing students may work under the supervision of a Red Cross Registered Nurse to meet the disaster-related health needs of clients as a HS Student Caregiver registered as a Red Cross volunteer in the Disaster Services Human Resources (DSHR) system (local response only).

Part I provides an overview of Disaster HS using a historical video and narrated presentation. Part II encourages in-class interaction, using a tabletop exercise with scenario injects. A Red Cross nurse from the local chapter participates in the in-class Part II, helping participants work through case studies based on actual mass care experiences.

Learning Objectives:

After completing this course, nursing students will be able to:

1. Describe the role of the Red Cross Disaster Health Services (HS) volunteer in the disaster shelter setting.
2. Identify HS commitments as a Red Cross HS worker.
3. Describe HS disaster relief settings where volunteers may be assigned.
4. Assess disaster client needs, providing appropriate nursing care and client referral.
5. Describe possible challenges of working with the community after a disaster incident, to include strategies for providing assistance to individuals with functional and access needs.
6. Explain how HS align with public health nursing practice.

Prerequisites: Enrollment in a nursing program with: 1) a nursing faculty member who is willing to facilitate course instruction and 2) a collaborative relationship with a Red Cross nurse and local chapter or center.

Time to complete: 4 hours (2 hours on line and 2 hours in the classroom)

Target Audience: Pre-licensure nursing students and Red Cross partners who desire familiarization with Red Cross disaster health services

Access at Disaster Health and Sheltering Course

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