Emergency Management for Healthcare

CHAPTER 1

Emergency Exercise Design and Staff Education

Introduction

The staff of any healthcare facility cannot be reasonably expected to perform emergency procedures in any type of emergency or disaster setting without reasonable preparation, in the forms of training and practice. Emergency situations are not “business as usual,” and situations are likely to occur in which the standard operating procedures may not be available or even advisable. Moreover, it is precisely such unusual and emergent situations which are most likely to be the subject of detailed review after the fact, in the form of inquests, public inquiries, and civil litigation.

In such circumstances, it is frequently essential for the organization to be able to demonstrate ...