COURSE INTRODUCTION

To complete this course, you must do the following:

1. Read the Overview and Course Objectives.
2. Study the Terminology.
3. Read the course material.
4. Complete the Learning Activity.
5. Complete the Post Test with a score of 80% or more.

The American Medical Association designates this continuing medical education activity for up to 2 hours of category 1 credit towards the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. Each physician should claim only those hours of credit that he/she spent in the educational activity. To receive Continuing Medical Education credit for the course, complete the post test at the end of the course, and follow the instructions to receive your certificate.

To receive 2 hours of Continuing Nursing Education credit for the course, complete the post test at the end of the course with a score of 80% or more, and follow the instructions to receive your certificate.

NEEDS STATEMENT / OVERVIEW

Terrorism is real. The whole world woke up to this fact on September 11, 2001 in an attack that stunned the United States with its ferocity and its unthinkable nature. Now, all of a sudden, we were all vulnerable and terrorist attack is indeed thinkable. The program Getting Ready For Terrorism: Preparing The Healthcare Community For Biological, Chemical And Radiological Weapons discusses these forms of terrorism, the steps that are already underway in the United States to redefine the old focus of disaster preparedness toward disaster management and to enlist healthcare institutions at every level into a comprehensive community-wide management system to address preparedness so we will be ready if terrorism arrives again. This workbook, associated with the video, goes into further detail on the federal agencies involved in planning for a mass casualty event, on the types of biological, chemical and radiological or nuclear threats, and amplifies and outlines the steps to take within a healthcare facility to set up a disaster management committee.

Physicians and nurses interested preparing themselves, and the facilities they work in, for a bioterrorism event.

PURPOSE/OVERALL GOAL

The purpose of this program is to provide nurses and physicians with an understanding of the main types of weapons of mass destruction -- chemical, biological and radiological -- and how to plan in advance to mitigate their effects, and prepare an all-hazards emergency plan.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

• Describe the functions of the various federal agencies involved in addressing the terrorist threat.
• Describe the functions of the various non-governmental organizations involved in addressing the terrorist threat.
• Identify the means of recognition, treatment and infection control for the main biological weapons.
• Identify the means of recognition, decontamination and treatment for the main chemical weapons.
• Identify the means of recognition, decontamination and treatment for the main radiological weapons.
• Describe the processes a Disaster Management Committee should take to include bioterrorism into a facility's all-hazards disaster plan.

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