The initial risk that has to be addressed by nurses is the lack of educational information aimed at the reduction of the occurrence of substance abuse. Despite the fact that the cases of alcohol intake have been regarded as infrequent, it should be noted that the lack of education in the area would significantly reduce the chances of the aggregate to respond to a disaster adequately. The first priority-nursing diagnosis, therefore, is a knowledge deficit that nurses would have to address with the help of educational sessions intended to help the aggregate gain more insight into how to respond to the consequences of alcohol abuse or prevent it properly. This idea can also be met in the article written by Karaca and Aslan (2018), who define the need to educate the local population as one of the crucial capabilities that could reduce the time of reaction to an identified risk or an unexpected incident. It shall be noted that the aggregate should take live participation in the educational program in order to gain the most insight and diminish the adverse influence of external factors on their health. Reifels et al. (2019) suggest that alcohol abuse could be a decisive factor in nursing-related disaster management.
One more priority-nursing diagnosis is a disturbed sleep pattern that could avert the aggregate from having enough rest and actually having the physiological resources to respond to the external or internal threats. This issue is also linked to the concept of alcohol abuse because patients that engage in consuming illicit substances – even if occasionally – could be exposed to the risk of intoxication or corporal injuries. As stated by Wang et al. (2019), a disturbed sleep pattern is a serious threat because it defines the reaction time of a person and their ability to interact with the environment in real-time. The inability to get enough sleep could be a crucial limitation when exposed to an adverse event. The aggregate might not have enough strength to perform actions intended to protect them from external threats, exposing them to the dangers of unprecedented events. Despite the fact that the aggregate tend to exercise, their biological rhythm has to be addressed to prevent a scenario where they would not be able to respond to a disaster (Ogata et al., 2020). The main reason is that the aggregate would lack an understanding of what is going on around them or the mere incapability to wake up after all the mental and physical activities.
There are quite a few disasters that could affect the aggregate, as Miami is located in one of the areas that are most exposed to wildfires, hurricanes, floods, severe storms, tsunamis, and power outages. The problem with disasters is that they tend to remain infrequent and only strike the location unexpectedly. The local population has to develop backup plans to protect themselves from the negative influence of disasters mentioned above and gain an opportunity to respond to an adverse event the quickest. The two disasters from the list above that should be addressed before anything else are hurricanes and floods.
When preparing for a hurricane, the aggregate would have to stay indoors and monitor the latest news in order to be on the verge of adversity and remain ready for any consequences. It would be essential to assemble an emergency kit and take it everywhere with one’s self. If an evacuation center cannot be identified, it is recommended to stay indoors, in a room with no windows. In the case where there are children on-premises, the aggregate would be responsible for monitoring their stress indicators in order not to get exposed to panic (Zolnikov et al., 2020). During the eye of the storm, no aggregate should leave the house or the evacuation center with no exceptions.
As for flood preparedness, the aggregate would have to set up an emergency preparedness kit containing first aid items, three days of water and food, cash, and a flashlight with backup batteries. The rationale for this is that the aggregate would have to move out quickly in the case of an unexpected flood. Higher ground has to be found shortly after flood notice, as the aggregate have to have a chance to respond to the disaster quickly and collect all the required resources with no hesitation (Collins et al., 2018). Floods are exceptionally dangerous because floodwaters may be hard to stop or evade, so the aggregate should have a clear understanding of where they have to move and how fast they should reach the shelter.
As for the disaster supply kit, it should contain water and food that is going to be enough for at least three days, with most of the food is either canned or non-perishable. There should also be products with a long shelf life that would not spoil during the disaster. Cooking tools and pet food (if necessary) should also be included in the kit in addition to all the food and water. Any required medicine or prescriptions together with the first aid kit should be included in the supply kit as well (Bagwell et al., 2016). The aggregate should have a radio, several flashlights, suitable clothing, and disaster supply tools such as a knife, signal flare, map, tape, and thermal blankets.
References
Bagwell, H. B., Liggin, R., Thompson, T., Lyle, K., Anthony, A., Baltz, M.,… & Kuo, D. Z. (2016). Disaster preparedness in families with children with special health care needs. Clinical Pediatrics, 55(11), 1036-1043.
Collins, T. W., Grineski, S. E., & Chakraborty, J. (2018). Environmental injustice and flood risk: a conceptual model and case comparison of metropolitan Miami and Houston, USA. Regional Environmental Change, 18(2), 311-323.
Karaca, T., & Aslan, S. (2018). Effect of ‘nursing terminologies and classifications’ course on nursing students’ perception of nursing diagnosis. Nurse Education Today, 67, 114-117.
Ogata, H., Kayaba, M., Kaneko, M., Ogawa, K., & Kiyono, K. (2020). Evaluation of sleep quality in a disaster evacuee environment. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(12), 4252.
Reifels, L., Mills, K., DĂĽckers, M. L. A., & O’donnell, M. L. (2019). Psychiatric epidemiology and disaster exposure in Australia. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 28(3), 310-320.
Wang, F., Meng, L. R., Zhang, Q. E., Li, L., Lam, B. N., Ng, C. H.,… & Xiang, Y. T. (2019). Sleep disturbance and its relationship with quality of life in older Chinese adults living in nursing homes. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 55(3), 527-532.
Zolnikov, T. R., Garces, K. P., Bolter, K., McGuigan, K., & King, R. K. (2020). Enhancing public health preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities through the Florida Hurricane Response Hub. Climate Risk Management, 30, 100251.