EDGE Project Overview
MY EXPERIENCE
TITLE OF PROJECT
Disaster Preparedness
ABSTRACT OF PROJECT
Through the use of a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training course, reading “The Demon in the Freezer” by Richard Preston, and creating an Eportfolio, I will learn how to care for myself and others in the event of a disaster. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training will teach me basic disaster preparedness skills to use in the event of a disaster including: extinguishing small fires, light search and rescue, team leading, and disaster medical operations including triage and basic first aid. The book "The Demon in the Freezer" specifically discusses bioterrorism disasters and how individuals responded to the bioterrorism disaster scenarios. Lastly, I will use an Eportfolio to summarize what I learned from my Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training and reading "The Demon in the Freezer" by identifying an overall disaster theme. The knowledge and skills that I gain from reading "The Demon in the Freezer" and taking the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training will prepare me to respond and lead others in the event of a disaster within my community
LARGER PURPOSE
By gaining disaster preparedness knowledge through the use of a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) course, reading “The Demon in the Freezer” by Richard Preston, and by creating an Eportfolio that synthesizes what I learned, I will be able to be a more knowledgeable leader and a more compassionate nurse. When I learn what to do in the case of an emergency, I will be able to apply my knowledge and lead others in how to properly care for themselves, their family, and their community.
PROJECT GOAL
The goal for my project is for me to learn both the skills necessary and to be comfortable responding to and leading others in the event of a disaster within my community.
OUTCOMES
While I hope that a disaster never happens within my community, the main outcome of my EDGE project is that I will feel knowledgeable enough and willing enough to respond to a disaster scenario and lead others on what to do until the proper authorities take over. A second potential, though not ideal outcome is that my EDGE project will not make me feel knowledgeable and willing enough to respond in the event of a disaster.
DELIVERABLES
As deliverables, I am able to provide my: CERT participant manual, CERT backpack, pictures taken of while in my CERT course, CERT course completion certificate, highlighted “The Demon in the Freezer” book, and a link to my Eportfolio at https://suu.instructure.com/eportfolios/26800?view=preview.
DIFFERENTIATION
Most nursing majors graduate and move on to work in a typical clinical setting such as within a hospital. While this is important, nurses who work in a community setting such as a school nurse are on the “front lines” for that community setting of a school, and are often on the scene before emergency personnel arrive. Through the use of my EDGE project, I am proving my differentiation from other nurses by showcasing that I am knowledgeable enough and willing enough to be on the “front lines” in orb nder to care for individuals before they get to the hospital.
ESTIMATED COSTS
$0. The CERT course was offered to me for free and a paperback copy of the book “The Demon in the Freezer” by Richard Preston was provided for me by a family member for free.