Health Factors and Practices in Disaster and Emergency Situations Paper Example

Optimal health is the state of ultimate wellness and is the ideal of human existence. The state of well-being differs from one individual to another, and different factors define it. Among these factors are both internal and external. According to Rodriguez (2014), internal factors include the ability of the body to maintain a steady equilibrium of the physiologic function and processes or homeostasis, personality traits, psychological state, gender, age, and genetic makeup. Rodriguez further states that external factors include environmental influences such as temperature, weather, and sanitation, the role of family, cultural influences, religion, and socio-economic factors. A disruption in the balance of any or a combination of these factors leads to potential illnesses in all or one of the dimensions of health including mental, social and physical.

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Disasters and emergencies include those that impact the community at large or some individuals. They can consist of the whole series of health emergencies like heart attacks, trauma, strokes, and cardiac arrest, to happenings that large upset populations in natural disasters such as tornadoes, disease outbreaks, hurricanes, mud or landslides, floods and earthquakes (McEllrath, 2014). Communities and individuals have different needs during disaster and emergencies. Emergencies need to be dealt with immediately to avoid the worsening of the situation though in other circumstances mitigation might be difficult, and only palliative care can be offered for the aftereffects. Certain emergencies are undeniable such as natural disasters which affect huge populations; numerous minor incidents need the affected party to qualify if it is an emergency requiring immediate intervention (McEllrath, 2014). People and communities should be aware of emergency services that can assist them in case of crisis. Clean-up during disaster recovery involves man hazards which are increased by the state of the local environment for instance after a natural disaster. Communities should be provided with adequate care in the response process to ensure their health is not affected and those who are injured need to be treated soonest to increase chances of survival.

Interpersonal collaboration is the ultimate cornerstone of success in all teams. The moment the nurses collaborate with fellow healthcare providers the quality of care and patient outcomes have a tendency to improve. This interpersonal approach facilitates for singular, and team members combined skills to work in conjunction. Teams can develop efforts for improving patient and population health outcomes in disaster and trauma conditions. The concept of collaboration according to D'Amour (2005), works under five notions including partnership, sharing, power interdependence and process. The aspect of sharing indicates a joint deed towards a mutual goal. The partnership is directed towards mutual trust, communication, and respect and aiming for a shared set of objectives amongst medical professionals particularly among physicians and nurses. All the notions of collaboration need take place for successful teamwork to happen. Clinical efforts require a partnership of physicians and nurses in their efforts of improving health (D'Amour, 2005). They should be equipped to handle all health emergencies and offer services on sites of natural disasters.

References

D'Amour, D., Ferrada-Videla, M., Rodriguez, L., & Beaulieu, M. (2005). The conceptual basis for interpersonal collaboration: core concepts and theoretical frameworks. Journal of interpersonal care, 1911-131.

McEllrath, D., et al. (2014). Foundations of Emergency Management (1st Ed.). Dubuque, IA: Kendall-Hunt Publishing company.

Rodriguez, M. D. (2014). The Balance Concept in Health and Nursing. iUniverse.