Question: 1- Great response. You brought up many points that I overlooked. I love the info on assessing the community. Of course you need to assess the community on their spiritual needs and reaction to the disaster. There could be people at risk of harming themselve or others. It is important to gauge the community members and provide them with the proper support they need. A community health nurse has a very important job when dealing with disasters.
2- What we call holistic care in nursing involves the mind, body and spirit. If we are required to care for our patients this way for them to be healed as a whole person, then it should be part of their health care. I think there should be reimbursement for it. Spiritual care is important in the care of patients.
3- During disasters, people suffer psychological and emotion stress. There are many types of disasters that cause emotional stress, like school shootings, mass shootings, bombings, and weather-related disasters. They witness some traumatizing events that may haunt them. They may question why God allowed this to happen. They may wonder about their beliefs of God. They may feel the need to push others away, so they do not get hurt. They may feel guilty or angry. They may question life and death and its purpose. The community will ask the same questions as well. Community leaders may feel overwhelmed while trying to care for their community members like when Las Vegas had the mass shooting during a country concert. The community of Las Vegas and country music came together to support the victims and the community. Health care worker, first responders, and the community, caring for the victims struggle to save lives and lose precious lives. They worked to save lives and to provide emotional support to the victims. After the day was over, the workers themselves were the ones that needed to be cared for emotionally and mentally. They are mentally drained and need counseling themselves.
A community nurse health nurse can assist with all aspects of nursing, triaging the injured, as well as population-based practices, rapid assessment of the community's needs, handing out of preventative and treatments, education, providing shelter or resources for shelter, and staples to survive or resources to facilitate those staples (Association of Public Health Nurses, 2013). They also can provide the spiritual support that people need. They should offer spiritual support by offering spiritual care by being present and hospitality, nonjudgmental listening, providing no harm, and confidentiality. Encourage their faith to get them through the disaster, attempt to normalize and understand their situation. They should also be ready to provide spiritual resources and assistances (National Disaster Interfaith Network, n.d.). The community can assist her colleagues by listening to them and providing them with resources for spiritual support.