Nurse Reporter Summer 2007 - Wyoming State Board of Nursing

If Disaster StrikesBy Sue HowardClinical Education SupervisorCampbell County Memorial HospitalSamantha is assisted by Paul Williams Paramedic, to ‘don’ Level C protectivesuit. Beginning from the feet up this suit requires assistance.Is your community prepared to deal with a community wide exposure to hazardousmaterials? Everyone hopes it will never happen near our homes andfamilies, but each Wyoming healthcare facility is required to have a plan andmust be prepared to activate the plan. Gillette, Wyoming is prepared. On April25, Campbell County Memorial Hospital Mission Division presented a daylongdecontamination training program involving 25 staff persons, local policeand fire personnel and the county disaster planning office. Hospital-basedhealthcare providers and environmental services staff participated in the training.The group received information on potential hazards relative to our location,which may require decontamination and treatment of victims and firstresponders. In the morning the group learned to assemble the PAPR and theLevel C protective suits. Level C suits are water resistant and have a self containedbreathing apparatus (PAPR). Instructions for the decon practice includedselecting “non-essential” staff to be in these suits. Doctors, Nurses, EMTsand Paramedics will be needed to treat victims after decontamination. A second person is needed to ‘don’ the suit. Samantha King, a CertifiedNursing Assistant, was assisted to don her suit.The Level C suit is donned on from the feet tocover the arms and head. Normal hospital glovesare worn under the suit and heavy water resistantgloves are placed over the hands and up the arms ofthe suit. Then the suit is placed over the head andzipped. An adhesive flap covers the zipper. Thegloves and booties are then taped to seal them fromoutside contamination and water.In the afternoon a larger group rehearsed setting upthe decontamination tent. A hospital plan outlinesand designates responsibilities of each task inpreparing for a Haz-Mat Drill or event.“The suit is hot and may causeclaustrophobia. The air circulatingaround your face and makes it morecomfortable.” said Samantha.Bottom right:The tent was not difficultfor a team of four to assemble.Getting ready to unfold“Decon Tent”8 W Y O M I N G N U R S E R E P O R T E R