Does the law require you to respond in disaster situations?

THREE QUESTONS

First question answer this:

Thanks for sharing. Click on the link below and open the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. Choose 1 section that interests you and share some important points regarding that section.

https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/15271

Second Question Reply to Ania Nalbandian

Does the law require you to respond in disaster situations?

Every stat has a different set of rules and regulations and laws in place regarding who is responsible to respond in disaster situations. (ANA, 2017). Surprisingly and to some degree understandably many might not want to respond due to feeling physically unsafe, wanting to take care of their own loved ones first, or if there is concern about professional ethical and legal protection for nursing care in crisis situation. (ANA, 2017).

Do RNs have a contractual responsibility to respond in disaster situations?

As registered nurses we are the ones who will be caring for sick patients with compassion and responsibility. During a disaster, it is very necessary to have the health care team present to help those in need. We also have to be aware of our safety along with patient’s safety. However, RNs don’t have to respond in disaster situation in majority of the states, but it is an ethical thing to do because this is what we signed up for after all. We can start off by volunteering to get familiar and comfortable working under intense situations like these.

Are you familiar with the laws in your state?

There is currently no law in California that requires RNs to respond to natural disasters. As I mentioned before, they can volunteer to provide services, but they are not obligated to respond and as mentioned above, many don’t for many different reasons.

American Nursing Association. (2017). Who will be there? Ethics, the law, and a nurse’s duty to respond in a disaster. Retrieved from https://www.nursingworld.org/~4ad845/globalassets/docs/ana/who-will-be-there_disaster-preparedness_2017.pdf

Third Question Reply to Kristina Ordiales 

Does the law require you to respond in disaster situations?

The Code of Ethics for Nurses, states that the nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient (American Nurses Association, 2015). It also states that the nurse owes the same duties to self as to others (ANA, 2015)

Do RNs have a contractual responsibility to respond in disaster situations?

I believe RNs have a contractual responsibility to respond in disaster situations since their primary commitment is to the patient once they and their families are safe.

Are you familiar with the laws in your state?

According to the ANA, many states have a law that require licensed health care professionals to respond and can punish those who do not comply. (2017) The federal government has the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) to “improve the Nation’s public health and medical preparedness and response capabilities for emergencies, whether deliberate, accidental, or natural.” (2020)

References

American Nurses Association (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements.

Silver Spring, MD: Nursesbooks.org Retrieved from https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/nursing-excellence/ethics/code-of-ethics-for-nurses/coe-view-only/

American Nurses Association (2017). Who Will Be There Ethics the Law and a Nurse’s Duty to Respond in a Disaster: Technical Resources. Retrieved July 21, 2020, from https://asprtracie.hhs.gov/technical-resources/resource/1207/who-will-be-there-ethics-the-law-and-a-nurses-duty-to-respond-in-a-disaster

Emergency Authority and Immunity Toolkit. (n.d.). Retrieved August 1, 2020, from

https://www.astho.org/Programs/Preparedness/Public-Health-Emergency-Law/Emergency-Authority-and-Immunity-Toolkit/Pandemic-and-All-Hazards-Preparedness-Act-Fact-Sheet/