Newsletter

     I was initially inspired for my EDGE project when I was taking the course NURS 4350 in the Spring 2019 semester, better known as “Population Care”. This course focused on community health and how nurses can have an impact on their community outside of traditional nursing career within the hospital setting. As I visited health clinics, judged science fairs, and helped run a health fair, I realized that I wanted to learn more about what I could do outside of the hospital setting. While in this course I heard someone mention the Cedar City Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). This individual also recommended the novel, “The Demon in the Freezer” by Richard Preston as a good example of international bioterrorism threats and how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) responded to said threats. After researching both the Cedar City Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the novel “The Demon in the Freezer” by Richard Preston, I knew that I had found my EDGE project.

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     However, my EDGE project was not completed without challenges. First, each day of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training course were a full 8 hours long. Since starting college, I quickly adjusted to 1-hour classes, so making the transition back to a full day of class was a challenge for me as I struggled to stay focused on the material being taught. I had a similar challenge in reading “The Demon in the Freezer” by Richard Preston wherein I was easily distracted and would have to isolate myself away from my cell phone and other distractions in order to focus on reading the novel. Despite my personal struggles, I removed distractions and was therefore able to focus on my class and reading.  

     By focusing on my reading and class I attended, I was able to gain valuable knowledge regarding disaster preparedness. While I have not yet used this information to help others, I know that my newfound knowledge of disaster preparedness is a benefit to those in my community. This is because I now know how to respond and lead others in the event of a disaster. I will be able to benefit others because I can help an individual to understand bioterrorism or help them through the specific disaster skills, I learned in my Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training course. Overall, I fully believe that my newfound disaster preparedness knowledge is a benefit to those living within my community.

     Lastly, I also benefited from learning how to be prepared for and respond in the event of a disaster. Through the knowledge I have gained, I now know how to care for myself and my loved ones if and when a disaster occurs within my community. If nothing else, knowing how to care for myself and others in the event of a disaster are a comfort as I can feel confident in the skills and knowledge I have gained. Because of this, I believe that by attending a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training course and by reading “The Demon in the Freezer” by Richard Preston, I created an incredibly beneficial EDGE project for both myself and those in my community.