MASSACHUSETTS NURSE NEWSLETTER :: May 2005

In collaboration with Mass. DPH
MNA offering bioterrorism preparedness modular presentation components

Health & Homeland Alert Network

As a secure application interfaced with a wide range of devices (e.g. pager, fax, phone, email, wireless), the Health & Homeland Alert Network will establish the infrastructure necessary for continuous secure communication and information sharing in support of aspects of bio-terrorism preparedness including, but not limited to, response planning, educational services, disease surveillance, laboratory reporting and epidemiological investigation. The core functionality of the alert network will provide a secure means to utilize the following:

• A role-based user directory containing the contact information of all appropriate commonwealth responders
• Confirm receipt of user-specific rapid communication for emergency situations (can alert phones, fax, email and pager)
• Online news postings for low-priority information dissemination
• Online training documentation and schedules to ease administrative burden associated with any existing and/or future educational services
  The specific objectives for this "HHAN Alert only" training are:
• Access the HHAN from any Internet-connected computer
• Set up participants’ individual profiles to receive alerts via the method(s) they choose
• Use the role directory to find contact information for any user on the system
• Receive and confirm alerts of varying importance
• Respond to alerts via phone, e-mail, fax, etc.

Presentation credit 1.5 CMEs and 1.8 nursing contact hours.

Rash Surveillance

The presentation will include an overview of macular, papular, vesicular and pustular rashes, as well as the adjectives frequently used to describe such rashes. The focus of the presentation is being able to differentiate smallpox from chicken pox and other similar types of rashes. Finally, the presentation will review the school nurse’s role, responsibility and method of reporting the occurrence of chicken pox in the school setting.

The specific objectives for rash surveillance presentation are:

• Describe various rash presentations: macular, papular, pustular and vesicular
• Identify rash epidemiology of smallpox vs. varicella
• Understand the various reporting mechanisms for rash surveillance
• Complete varicella reporting form, providing the essential information to LBOH

Presentation credit 1.5 CMEs and 1.8 nursing contact hours.

Behavioral Health Disaster Response

The presentation on Behavioral Health Disaster Response will include a general overview of critical incidents and emergency events. The presentation will include a definition of behavioral health and a description of how behavioral health interventions can both prevent and mitigate certain consequences of disasters and other emergencies. The presentation will identify how emergency events affect individuals, families and communities and how disaster stress, a normal response to abnormal events, is usually manifested. Long-term behavioral health effects of disasters, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, will be explained and discussed in the context of both prevention and intervention.

The specific objectives for the behavioral health disaster presentation are:

• Define "Critical Incident" and identify the behavioral health issues of both natural and human-caused emergency events
• Understand how emergency events affect the behavioral health of individuals, families and communities
• Describe the symptoms of and interventions related to disaster stress (the normal response to an abnormal event) and long-term issues such as Post

Traumatic Stress Disorder

Presentation credit 1.5 CMEs and 1.8 nursing contact hours.

If you are interested in having one or more of these programs brought to your facility, contact Chris Pontus At 781.830.5754 or email cpontus@nmarn.org.