NURS 8310 Discussion 1: Applied Epidemiology SOLUTION

     Disasters refer to unexpected large-scale events that disrupt communities and cause trauma, death, and destruction (Moynihan, 2009). An example of a disaster is Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina made a powerful category 3 storm at 6.10 am of August 29, 2005, in Louisiana. Hurricane Katrina disrupted basic utilities, food-distribution systems, health-care services, and communications in large portions of Louisiana and Mississippi (Moynihan, 2009). In the days after the hurricane struck, displacement of persons living in these areas resulted in the congregation of more than 200,000 persons in evacuation centers in at least 18 states.

In the wake of disasters, epidemiologists play a key role in identifying and characterizing the affected populations, assessing environmental exposures, quantifying physical and mental health impacts, and producing evidence to ascribe causation (Thorpe et al., 2015).  Hurricane Katrina led to various epidemiological considerations. Epidemiologists had a significant role in assessing environmental exposure through various strategies. Public health service and sanitation professionals had to evaluate the quality of the floodwaters that were being pumped into other water bo

dies to assess infectious and chemical agents as well as the impacts in other areas subject to gravitational unwatering (Coussens & Goldman, 2007). The water quality in the surrounding areas had to be monitored to successfully convey health warnings when the water was not safe for use. The inspection of the sea food supply in the food establishments, both wholesale and retail, had to be done to promote safety (Coussens & Goldman, 2007). Hazardous materials had to be monitored and debris sites monitored for environmental exposure. The monitoring of the indoor and outdoor air quality was essential, as well as dissemination of information on mold and dust, proper ways of removing it, what susceptible groups should avoid any exposure, and what appropriate personal protective equipment should be used to limit exposure (Coussens & Goldman, 2007). The safety of the workers involved in the rebuilding efforts had to be ensured by providing information on personal protective equipment, vaccines, and proper training and by monitoring illnesses and injuries. Epidemiologists had an important role in collecting data related to the post-disaster effects which could guide disease control or prevention measures.

The response to Hurricane Katrina involved an inter-governmental (federal, state, and local) and cross-sectoral (public, private and non-profit) network of actors. The effectiveness of the nation’s response to Hurricane Katrina has been viewed differently by various groups. While the risk of a major hurricane striking New Orleans had long been considered and there was enough warning of the threat which was made in advance of landfall, it is indicated that the responders failed to convert this information into a level of preparation appropriate with the scope of the impending disaster (Moynihan, 2009).The dispersed nature of authority in the US intergovernmental response system further weakened response, as federal responders failed to recognize the need to more actively engage (Moynihan, 2009). The lack of a clear directing authority encouraged responders to “freelance” without seeking to coordinate with appropriate authorities. For example, in the area of search and rescue, the heroic efforts of the Coast Guard have been rightly praised. But their quick response was also characterized by little effort to coordinate with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), state agencies, the National Guard or the Department of Defense, who were also running search operations (Moynihan, 2009). As a result, there was duplication of effort in some neighborhoods, and a lack of attention to others. In any case, many of the key institutional capacities to manage the response at every level of government were inadequate (Moynihan, 2009).The poor response arose from a failure to manage a number of risk factors (Moynihan, 2009). This indicates the importance of collaboration among stakeholders and adequate preparedness in the effective response to disinters.

References

Coussens, C., & Goldman, L. (Eds.). (2007). Environmental Public Health Impacts of Disasters: Hurricane Katrina: Workshop Summary. National Academies Press.

Moynihan, D. P. (2009). The response to hurricane Katrina. Geneva (Italy): International Risk Governance Council, 27-45.

Thorpe, L., Assari, S., Deppen, S., Glied, S., Lurie, N., & Mauer, M. et al. (2015). The role of epidemiology in disaster response policy development. Annals of Epidemiology, 25(5), 377-386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2014.05.016

Sample Answer 2 for NURS 8310 Discussion 1: Applied Epidemiology SOLUTION

Identify the disaster and resulting population health issue.

The Chernobyl accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in the Soviet Union in 1986 is considered the worst disaster in the history of nuclear power generation (WNA, 2021). The neighboring population and the individuals involved in cleaning up were exposed to high radiation levels. Within three months of the accident, people died from skin burns and acute radiation syndrome (ARS) (Mayor, 2005). Subsequently, the residents were diagnosed with various health issues like thyroid cancer, cardiovascular disease, and post-traumatic stress disorder like anxiety, stress, and depression (Mayor, 2005).

Describe the epidemiological considerations resulting from this disaster. Support your response with specific examples and evidence from the literature.

The accident caused an uncontrolled radioactive release into the environment recorded for any civilian operation (WNA, 2021). The large quantities of radioactive substances were released into the air for about 10 days before the city of Chernobyl was evacuated (WNA, 2021). The picture below illustrates the epidemiological considerations resulting from this disaster (WNA, 2021). Although there is no factual scientific evidence of the public health impact of radiation exposure, several studies have noted substantial changes due to radiation exposure over 36 years. A 770-mile-wide exclusion zone remains and is deemed inhabitable for humans on land (WNA, 2021). The radiation also contaminated soil and water. Researchers state that plants and animals have mutated and adapted to the barren land, as noticed in recent years. Ukrainian authorities say humans won’t be able to live safely in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone for more than 24,000 years (History, 2021).

Discuss the factors that made the community’s and/or nation’s response effective or ineffective.

The immediate reaction of Soviet leadership was secrecy (WNA, 2021). The city residents weren’t evacuated until ten days after the incident. It was disclosed globally when a nuclear power plant in Stockholm started registering unusually high radiation levels near their plant (WNA, 2021). The United Nations, along with neighboring countries, participated in the cleanup. Over 36 years, the United Nations has focused efforts on recovery and development via the Inter-Agency Task Force on Chernobyl (UN, 2021). Some priorities include radiation mitigation, nuclear safety, radioactive waste management, environmental sustainability, and more (UN, 2021).

 

References

History. (2021). Chernobyl. History.com. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/1980s/chernobyl#section_12

Mayor, S. (2005). Health consequences after Chernobyl disaster are less than feared. BMJ, 331(7516). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.331.7516.534-b

1. (2021). The United Nations and Chernobyl. United Nations. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/en/observances/chernobyl-remembrance-day/un-action

WNA. (2021). Chernobyl Accident 1986. World Nuclear Association. Retrieved from https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/chernobyl-accident.aspx

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Important information for writing discussion questions and participation

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Hello class and welcome to the class and I will be your instructor for this course. This is a -week course and requires a lot of time commitment, organization, and a high level of dedication. Please use the class syllabus to guide you through all the assignments required for the course. I have also attached the classroom policies to this announcement to know your expectations for this course. Please review this document carefully and ask me any questions if you do. You could email me at any time or send me a message via the “message” icon in halo if you need to contact me. I check my email regularly, so you should get a response within 24 hours. If you have not heard from me within 24 hours and need to contact me urgently, please send a follow up text to

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Your initial discussion post should be a minimum of 200 words and response posts should be a minimum of 150 words. Be advised that I grade based on quality and not necessarily the number of words you post. A minimum of TWO references should be used for your initial post. For your response post, you do not need references as personal experiences would count as response posts. If you however cite anything from the literature for your response post, it is required that you cite your reference. You should include a minimum of THREE references for papers in this course. Please note that references should be no more than 5 years old except recommended as a resource for the class. Furthermore, for each discussion board question, you need ONE initial substantive response and TWO substantive responses to either your classmates or your instructor for a total of THREE responses. There are TWO discussion questions each week, hence, you need a total minimum of SIX discussion posts for each week. I usually post a discussion question each week. You could also respond to these as it would count towards your required SIX discussion posts for the week.

I understand this is a lot of information to cover in 5 weeks, however, the Bible says in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. Even in times like this, we are encouraged by God’s word that we have that ability in us to succeed with His strength. I pray that each and every one of you receives strength for this course and life generally as we navigate through this pandemic that is shaking our world today. Relax and enjoy the course!

Hi Class,

Please read through the following information on writing a Discussion question response and participation posts.

Contact me if you have any questions.

Important information on Writing a Discussion Question

• Your response needs to be a minimum of 150 words (not including your list of references)
• There needs to be at least TWO references with ONE being a peer reviewed professional journal article.
• Include in-text citations in your response
• Do not include quotes—instead summarize and paraphrase the information
• Follow APA-7th edition
• Points will be deducted if the above is not followed

Participation –replies to your classmates or instructor

• A minimum of 6 responses per week, on at least 3 days of the week.
• Each response needs at least ONE reference with citations—best if it is a peer reviewed journal article
• Each response needs to be at least 75 words in length (does not include your list of references)
• Responses need to be substantive by bringing information to the discussion or further enhance the discussion. Responses of “I agree” or “great post” does not count for the word count.
• Follow APA 7th edition
• Points will be deducted if the above is not followed
• Remember to use and follow APA-7th edition for all weekly assignments, discussion questions, and participation points.
• Here are some helpful links
• Student paper example
• Citing Sources
• The Writing Center is a great resource