SAFETYLIT WEEKLY UPDATE

We compile citations and summaries of about 400 new articles every week.
RSS Feed

HELP: Tutorials | FAQ
CONTACT US: Contact info

Search Results

Journal Article

Citation

Cone DC, Cummings BA. Am. J. Disaster Med. 2020; 14(4): 237-245.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, American Society of Disaster Medicine, Publisher Weston Medical Publishing)

DOI

10.5055/ajdm.2019.0337

PMID

32803743

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess hospital employees' attitudes and needs regarding work commitments during disasters.

METHODS: A 12-item survey was distributed to employees at nine hospitals in five states. Questions addressed willingness to work during a disaster or its aftermath, support services that could encourage employees to remain for extended hours, and conflicting emergency response obligations (e.g., being a volunteer firefighter) that might prevent employees from working at the hospital. Anonymity was assured, and approval was obtained from each hospital's institutional review board.

RESULTS: Of the 2,004 surveys distributed, 1,711 (85 percent) were returned. Eighty-seven percent of respondents were willing to work after a fire/rescue/collapse mass casualty incident. Respondents were otherwise less willing to work in response to a man-made disaster (biological event: 58 percent; chemical event: 58 percent; radiation event: 57 percent) than a natural disaster (snowstorm: 83 percent; flood: 81 percent; hurricane: 78 percent; earthquake: 79 percent; tornado: 77 percent; ice storm: 75 percent; flu epidemic: 72 percent) (p < 0.001 for all comparisons by χ2 testing). While 44 percent of respondents would come to work in response to any of the 11 disaster types listed, 19 percent were only willing to cover four or fewer types. Long-distance phone service (694, 41 percent), email access (584, 34 percent), pet care (568, 33 percent), and child care (506, 30 percent) were the most common support needs, and 365 respondents (21 percent) reported a conflicting emergency response obligation.

CONCLUSIONS: The majority of hospital workers surveyed were willing to report to work in response to some types of disasters but not others, and some indicated they might not be available at all due to conflicting emergency response obligations.


Language: en

NEW SEARCH


All SafetyLit records are available for automatic download to Zotero & Mendeley
Print