 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Carol O'Boyle, PhD, RN, School of Nursing, University of Minnisota, 6-101 Weaver-Densford Hall, 308 Harvard St., S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455, 612-624-9659, oboyLOO2@umn.edu
During a bioterrorism (BT) attack from an infectious agent there may be multiple patient admissions to all hospitals. Nurses will be expected to remain at their work sites with little or no information about their loved ones, manage their own anxiety, deal with increased workloads, and care for patients with unusual illnesses. The BT attack will likely produce fear, anxiety, stress, and confusion in hospital settings that could be further amplified by chaos in the community. Nurses have questioned if their personal safety needs will be met during BT events. Although infection risks can be reduced with appropriate equipment, little is know about psychological stressors of disaster nursing related to risk of infection transmission to nurses and their loved ones. The psychological reactions of nurse expected to provide care to infected patients during a bioterrorism event are complex. Reports of nurses refusing to participate in smallpox vaccination programs suggest that nurses' responsibilities for maintaining personal health, protecting the safety of their loved ones, and performing professional duties are in conflict. A questionnaire was developed measuring motivational schema (e.g., feelings, beliefs about outcomes, sense of control) and intentions of nurses related to caring for patients during BT events. Following pilot testing with a group of hospital nurses (n=20) the questionnaire was administered to a larger group of nurses (n=100) in a Midwest metropolitan area. The findings from this study will be used in future research to test interventions designed to increase nurses' sense of safety and control during bioterrorism events.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Bioterrorism, Workplace Safety
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.