The Faculty Spotlight is on Tamara Chase, MSN, RN, London Draper, MSN, RN, and Valerie Gooder, PhD, RN for their work on the development of a new baccalaureate nursing course, Threats and Crisis: Nursing Response. This new course was developed to provide nurses specialized education about terrorism and natural disasters and the role of nurses in response to mass casualty events. Topics discussed include information on the National Disaster Response Framework, bioterrorism, weapons of mass destruction, incident and hospital management, natural disasters, environmental disasters, the role of the media, and psychosocial aspects of terrorism, mass casualties, and war. The course includes a theory component focusing on teaching the fundamentals of disaster planning, terrorism, bio-terrorism, and natural disasters.

In addition, there is a clinical component of the course focusing on service learning. As part of the clinical portion of the class, students complete the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) certification course. This certification prepares the students to become part of their local emergency response team. Also, students are required to develop a community education program to assist members of the community with personal disaster preparedness.

In September 2006, Chase, Gooder, and Draper presented innovative teaching strategies developed in conjunction with the "Threats and Crises" course at the National League for Nursing conference held in New York City.

Tamara Chase and London Draper will be traveling with Dr. Catherine Earl to Victoria, Australia March 2007 to present at the 5th International Rural Nursing Congress conference.  They will present a 90-minute symposium entitled: 

Disasters, Terrorism, Emerging Diseases, & Rural Public
Preparedness: Nursing Preparation & Response

This symposium will outline strategies for incorporation of disaster response information (including theoretical and didactic components) into the nursing curriculum, as well as techniques for inclusion of community education and public preparedness support.