Deck 22: Disaster Management: Caring for Communities in an Emergency

Question 1

As the flood receded from the town,the Disaster Action Team (DAT)met for debriefing.Why is this debriefing important for the whole community,as well as for the disaster team members?

A)The DAT is too tired to keep working and needs to sit and rest a while.
B)The DAT has insights that can help modify disaster plans to be used in the future.
C)The DAT has to give details of their names and addresses,so formal appreciation for their efforts can be sent.
D)The DAT needs some time to just socialize.

Answer 1

The DAT has insights that can help modify disaster plans to be used in the future.

Question 2

Of the following families,which is most likely to need the most support to recover from the loss of electricity?

A)The family who moved into their motor home with its generator
B)The family who was away on vacation at the time
C)The family who was without electricity for 2 weeks
D)The family who was without electricity for 3 days

Answer 2

The family who was without electricity for 2 weeks

Question 3

Which fact would suggest to a family that they may want to check building codes and availability of insurance and reconsider the location of their next home?

A)The area where they are looking had a huge neighborhood fire after a lightning strike last year,and people are just starting to rebuild.
B)The building lot is beautiful but in an area that has had forest fires and all the houses have burned three times in the past 20 years.
C)The empty building lot was in a neighborhood of very nice homes,but the home that used to be there was burned when the smoker fell asleep in his bed.
D)The home is very historic with features that cannot be replicated at any price today,but the damage from the fireplace fire is still very visible in the main living area.

Answer 3

The building lot is beautiful but in an area that has had forest fires and all the houses have burned three times in the past 20 years.

Question 4

The Mississippi River floods a small riverside town.A few citizens decide to stay even after the flood hits the town.Assuming flooding overwhelms city services,which of the following is the most dangerous problem?

A)Inability to drink safe water from the flooded city water pipes
B)Inability to eat because of food spoilage from lack of electrical service to refrigerators
C)Inability to relax,which would result in anxiety and tension
D)Inability to sleep because furniture will be wet

Question 5

Which of the following actions is the most important to perform first in caring for victims of a mass casualty incident?

A)Call in all part-time and on-call staff to help care for newly admitted clients.
B)Contact surrounding communities for assistance.
C)Call the hospital supply store and order extra dressings,intravenous fluids,and other materials.
D)Discharge as many hospital patients as possible to make room for disaster victim admissions.

Question 6

Several people were involved in a local community shooting,and one victim died shortly thereafter.Which person will need the most help immediately after the shooting?

A)The police officer who will have to notify the victim's family and follow up with the crime investigation
B)The woman who has been living with victim and has never experienced death of a close friend or family member
C)The woman who broke up with victim about a month ago and has not forgiven him for moving out of her apartment
D)The victim's best friend,who is accustomed to gang shootings and random violence

Question 7

Which natural disaster is the most common worldwide?

A)Earthquakes
B)Floods
C)Hurricane (water)/tornado (over land)
D)Volcanic eruption

Question 8

Of the following communities,which had a poor reaction to a disaster?

A)Chicago,which,after a large fire,now requires all buildings to be made of fireproof brick
B)Hilo,Hawaii,which,after the downtown was again destroyed by a tsunami,created an oceanfront park and moved small businesses farther up the mountain
C)Los Angeles,which is in the process of strengthening highway resistance to earthquake damage
D)Settersville,which,after a tornado flattened downtown,decided to appeal for state funds to rebuild,and which,if no funds are forthcoming,will simply cease to exist as a town

Question 9

Of the following disasters,which would probably cause the most suffering?

A)A fire during finals' week in a private residential college
B)A fire in an Alzheimer disease unit of an extended-care facility
C)A fire in an outpatient dermatology clinic at a major urban hospital
D)A thunderstorm that downs electrical lines to the local rural hospital

Question 10

A terrorist releases a poison gas in a crowded subway.This is an example of which of the following?

A)Appropriate political action
B)Man-made disaster
C)Media event
D)Natural disaster

Question 11

In a city where tornadoes have been known to strike,an emergency siren sounds,suggesting to its citizens that an emergency is imminent.What should a community/public health nurse do first?

A)Call every family member and tell them to come home immediately.
B)Call the local civil defense office for specific instructions for the nurse's agency.
C)Follow the disaster plan of the local emergency management agency.
D)Start driving to the hospital and prepare to care for the injured.

Question 12

Which of the following is an appropriate definition of mitigation?

A)The actions used to avoid or prevent disaster damage
B)The cleaning-up process after a disaster
C)The process used to react to a disaster in order to minimize the death rate
D)The psychological intervention used to help people cope with a disaster

Question 13

Why might citizens be concerned about disasters,especially terrorism,even before they occur?

A)Charities will be trying to collect money for the victims by using personal stories.
B)Financial costs of a disaster or terrorist attack increase citizens' taxes.
C)Laws have been passed requiring preparation for disaster education for laypeople.
D)There have been an increased number of terrorist activities throughout the world.

Question 14

A family is supporting each other in the emergency shelter after a flood.The nurse overhears the conversation.Which family member most needs the other family members to listen and understand?

A)An 11-year-old girl,who lost her teddy bear collection and is crying
B)A 45-year-old adult,who keeps telling everyone that at least he still has his job and that they can cope with this
C)A 43-year-old woman,who keeps saying,"Without our family pictures,we've lost our history"
D)A 16-year-old boy,who has lost his favorite hunting rifle and seems angry

Question 15

A nurse,serving as a volunteer,was helping community residents who had been taken to an emergency shelter for food,clothes,and life necessities.Of the following families,which is in most need of receiving assistance from the nurse?

A)A woman who is visiting her father and sees the flood as helpful to finally convince her father to move in with her and her husband
B)The couple who believe the flood is God's will and are attempting to determine its meaning for their life
C)The man who cannot believe that everything important to him is now lost
D)The man who believes the flood is a test of his faith but knows he will be alright

Question 16

In an earthquake,the roads and underground pipes were all destroyed.Fires and explosions began to occur from the broken leaking gas lines.Which of the following would be used to describe the fire?

A)A man-made disaster
B)The cause of the earthquake
C)The primary agent
D)The secondary agent

Question 17

When is the term mass casualty incident used in a disaster or crisis?

A)Fewer than 100 victims,which strains resources
B)Man-made disaster events
C)More than 100 victims,which overwhelms resources
D)Natural disaster events

Question 18

What group or organization defined the term disaster as "a threatening or occurring event," either natural or man-made,"that causes human suffering and creates human needs that victims cannot alleviate without assistance"?

A)American Red Cross
B)Department of Health and Human Services
C)National Office of Disaster Control
D)Department of Homeland Security

Question 19

Which of the following citizens trapped in a flood is in most need of supportive intervention by the nurse?

A)A handyman who was planning to remodel soon anyway
B)The man who had never been in a flood before and did not realize how much damage could be done
C)The store owner whose storefront was under water yet again
D)The woman whose house and small business were badly damaged but who had flood insurance

Question 20

Floods have hit a small town on the Mississippi many times.The last time,a levee broke,and there was extensive property damage,as well as several deaths.What should be the first preparation that the nurse should make before another flood hits?

A)Create child care centers.
B)Establish morgue facilities.
C)Plan for a parking area for rescue workers.
D)Practice the nurse's personal family response plan.

Question 21

Which federal government entity is responsible for coordinating all federal disaster assistance?

A)American Red Cross
B)Department of Homeland Security
C)Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
D)National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council

Question 22

Everyone in the emergency shelter told their neighbors what they were doing and how they got away.Which of the following is the most likely reason why these people are sharing their escape stories?

A)They are euphoric because they are safe in the shelter.
B)They are in the "honeymoon phase," when everyone draws together.
C)They are in the reconstruction phase,reviewing just how everything happened.
D)They are totally unrealistic,as they clearly had no idea of the extent of the disaster.

Question 23

A nurse is assisting at a disaster shelter.Which of the following interventions would be most appropriate for the nurse to implement?

A)Encouraging everyone in the shelter to guard their own things from possible theft
B)Keeping healthy victims busy by assigning them specific duties to perform
C)Putting hysterical or panic-stricken victims with adults who can listen to them
D)Separating the children from the adults so that the adults can rest while the children play

Question 24

A disaster is occurring in a community.Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

A)Calling all members of the nurse's family together at their home
B)Immediately driving to the hospital in preparation for giving care to victims
C)Remaining in place until the situation has stabilized
D)Contacting the emergency operations center to receive instructions

Question 25

In a state where a disaster occurred,which of the following actions should the governor take first?

A)Touring the disaster area with the media
B)Encouraging community members to volunteer
C)Publicizing the disaster and asking the national government for funding
D)Opening the state's Emergency Operations Center

Question 26

A registered nurse flown in to help with a disaster was feeling very tired,irritable,and anxious.In addition,the nurse seemed to be having difficulty concentrating and making decisions.Which of the following is the most likely cause of such feelings?

A)The close involvement in the disaster,which has traumatized the nurse as well
B)The knowledge that the nurse cannot meet all of the needs of the flood victims
C)The realization that the nurse cannot undo the damage of the flood
D)The recognition that the nurse is not adequately compensated for working this hard

Question 27

A man continued to state that the flood was not that bad,the town can rebuild,and no real damage was done.From his statements,what can be concluded?

A)He has totally recovered and thinks everyone else has as well.
B)He is having a strong emotional response but is overcompensating.
C)He is psychotic and needs medication.
D)He is still in denial,and the disaster has not really registered yet.

Question 28

A local community has experienced a disaster.What should the community do first?

A)Call the federal government for immediate funding assistance.
B)Implement its emergency operations plan.
C)Recruit volunteers who will see what needs to be done and start doing it.
D)Try to escape the disaster area.

Question 29

After a disaster,one citizen was most impressed with how much his neighbors went out of their way to help rescue him and take him to the emergency shelter.What is the most likely reason why his neighbors helped him?

A)They feared that he would sue them if they did not help him.
B)They hoped that,because he was very wealthy,he might give a reward for their help.
C)Such help is part of the pattern of behavior during the heroic phase of reaction to a disaster.
D)Such behavior is what any American would expect of a neighbor today.

Question 30

Five years after a major flood,a 52-year-old woman visits the family nurse practitioner (FNP)complaining primarily of inability to sleep but also of trouble concentrating on her job and household tasks and lack of interest in her former hobbies.Which of the following actions should the nurse take next?

A)Ask whether she has any other menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes.
B)Ask whether she has frequent nightmares or intrusive memories about the flood.
C)Suggest ferrous sulfate for anemia,which may be the underlying cause of the symptoms.
D)Suggest hot cocoa and relaxation exercises to help the woman sleep and regain her vigor.

Question 31

Knowing that a disaster can occur at any time,staff at a community hospital create a disaster plan that is based on a risk assessment.Which of the following activities should be included in the plan?

A)Scheduling periodic mock disasters to practice preparedness
B)Developing an ongoing media campaign that stresses the excellence of the employer
C)Reviewing all of the hospital policies for consistency and appropriateness
D)Sharing stories of problems that have occurred when communities have not been prepared for a disaster

Question 32

What is the first and most important aspect of managing disasters?

A)Evacuating injured persons to medical facilities
B)Giving immediate first aid and medical care to the victims
C)Planning to prevent such disasters whenever possible
D)Rescuing the victims

Question 33

Which of the following actions is considered most important by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention?

A)Assisting in recognizing and detaining known terrorists
B)Educating health professionals to recognize and treat biochemical hazards
C)Establishing and maintaining a database about known biochemical hazards
D)Printing and distributing informational materials about known biohazards

Question 34

The President of the United States has declared an area a major disaster area.Which of the following actions will be taken by the American Red Cross?

A)Ensuring that privacy and confidentiality of affected families are maintained
B)Engaging in mass care,including provision of food,shelter,supplies,health services,and family services
C)Establishing a financing loan program for people to rebuild their homes and businesses
D)Keeping details of the extent of the disaster confidential

Question 35

During the aftermath of a disaster,the nurse is assigned to triage incoming injured people.A man shows all the symptoms of a myocardial infarction.What should the nurse do first?

A)Give him a red tag so that he is the next person for the physician to treat.
B)Give him a green tag because without a cardiac care unit,the man will not survive.
C)Allow him to die with dignity by giving him a black tag.
D)Provide care for the man until a physician becomes available.

Question 36

A woman was told that everyone would be getting low-interest loans to rebuild their houses and businesses,and several of her neighbors were starting to rebuild.No one from the government had even come to look at damage to her house yet,which caused her to feel angry and resentful.What is the most likely reason for these feelings?

A)She is focusing on her own problems.
B)She is grieving over loss of her own property.
C)She is suffering from acute posttraumatic stress disorder.
D)She does not care about anyone else's damage.

Question 37

After a severe tornado hit the center of town,the American Red Cross set up an emergency shelter.The Emergency Operations Center was established.What would a nurse member of the Disaster Action Team most likely be asked to do? (Select all that apply.)

A)Debrief all the professionals assisting at the shelter.
B)Establish a personal family disaster response plan.
C)Appear on the local radio and TV stations to encourage citizens to stay calm.
D)Ride in a helicopter and assess the amount of damage done to the community.
E)Assign people who come to the shelter a space and give them emotional support.
F)Triage injured people,set up morgue facilities,and help with immediate first aid.

Question 38

What should all nurses know about their community?

A)All the medical and social agency resources that may be available
B)All of the nursing roles that may need to be fulfilled in a disaster
C)The emergency personnel departments in the local area that may need to be recruited
D)The nursing actions that may be performed during a disaster as defined by the state's nurse practice act

Question 39

Which of the following actions should every nurse take to prepare for a possible local disaster?

A)Completing an American Red Cross training program
B)Having a personal preparedness kit stored in the home
C)Providing volunteer assistance during a disaster in a neighboring community
D)Educating the community about the recovery phases after a disaster