HAZMAT for healthcare

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Mar 11, 2004

lots of fun

Ive been on the hazmat committee for awhile

very informative

petiteflower · Mar 12, 2004

Isn't it though? I really dreaded going to the class until I got there, and once we got into it---what a neat area to be involved in. Has anyone from your hospital gone to the cobra training in Alabama? I hear that is really fun--a whole week and at the end, you suit up class A and actually work in a contaminated environment. I would like to go---but can't justify it to my hospital just because I want to go play.

RNin92 · Mar 12, 2004

Just goes to show you...

ER nurses are very crazy people!!!

Hazmat!?...Go Play!?

:rolleyes:

Carotid · Mar 14, 2004

i'm tech-level trained as well as 4 other ER staff. many others are operations-level. our big hurdle is getting included in our county's cobra-team meetings and drills; they simply have excluded us from all involvement. a neighboring county has trained all of our staff. whoever has trained you should have input as to fed funds to stock your program with scbas, suits, decon supplies, and training. good luck.

Carotid

Trauma Columnist · Mar 14, 2004

I work in a level one trauma center in central Illinois - we have a disaster preparedness director who wrote for a grant to get equipment, training, etc. It was a lot of time and energy, but we have lots of equipment and training now.

petiteflower · Mar 15, 2004

i'm tech-level trained as well as 4 other ER staff. many others are operations-level. our big hurdle is getting included in our county's cobra-team meetings and drills; they simply have excluded us from all involvement. a neighboring county has trained all of our staff. whoever has trained you should have input as to fed funds to stock your program with scbas, suits, decon supplies, and training. good luck.
Carotid

Training for me came from out of state. Our county diaster person (I am drawing a total blank on the title right now) mandated a list that was required for us to buy with the grant. We got to decide which company we used etc. We are planning a Level C response with Level B or A coming from the fire department. All of the ordering was done before I went to my training, and my hospital did pretty good. There are just a few more things to add.

I am FRO now, would like to be tech level trained, but for now......... I am going to get the ER crew to FRO and a couple from the floor.

I would like to get involved with the county HAZMAT response--have the same problem with our county.

SOMEDIC · Jun 27, 2004

I found this post while dong research on another WMD project and even though this is an old thread I thought I should respond.

I am the Medical oficer for a COBRA team. Nurses have no training or any role to play on COBRA teams. Paramedic/HazMat technicians are the valued operators on a COBRA team. Our medics are already seasoned from the street and then the training they under go is above and beyond any thing a nurse would feel comfortable practicing.

This attitude of "Im a nurse-I can do it all." is not taken too well by COBRA team members that have an awesome responsibility when the situation turns real. My advice for nurses who are persistant in trying to insert themselves into such an alien enviroment is to stick to your hospital HazMat element. The field is no place for people that think a nursing ticket is all they need.

SOMEDIC

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Jun 28, 2004

I did my time when I was young as a medic in the field

you are right I will stick to my role in the ER

Im too old for the field

ladytraviler · Jun 28, 2004

AS a paramedic/RN, that way of thinking is what keeps the medics medics and the nurses nurses. There is no harm in letting the nurse see what goes on in a COBRA meeting. Most of what I read does not indicate that the nurses think they can do it all, they just want to learn! When you quit learning, you might as well roll over and play dead. As a paramedic, I enjoy the training. AS a RN, I think it gives understanding to what field medics do and why. Why is it wrong for them to want to know? Is it supposed to be a secret? If not, letting a nurse set in on the meetings as it gives them insite to what to expect in a MCI.

Nurses, He is right. Most of us are not trained to do the job. If your feelings are hurt because of this, get over it. You would not want a field medic doing your job, don't try to do theirs. If you want the knowledge, keep pushing to be allowed to set in on the meetings. The understanding you gain is worth the frustration.

To everyone, let's let the appropriate personal do the job they are trained for. Under the new JC guide lines, there is supposed to be a community involvement in training for WMD, bioterrorism, and radiological (?) incidents. We all have a roll to fill in these. Lets just not get territorial over them. If we can understand what is expected of all the players, the game goes much smoother.