EVAC: Evacuation of Vulnerable and Critical Pediatric Patients for Nurses

Abstract

Disasters such as earthquakes can interrupt healthcare delivery by forcing the evacuation of intensive care patients. Critically ill neonates are particularly vulnerable due to their complexity and thus can be difficult to safely and efficiently evacuate in a disaster. In general, most education surrounding this is based on lectures. This technical report describes the creation and use of a simulation-based curriculum focusing on the evacuation of a critically ill, septic neonate by a single nurse participant in the setting of an earthquake. This simulation provides learners the experience of expediently assessing safety in the setting of a disaster and prioritizing equipment when evacuating a critically ill neonate, which may provide a more realistic training environment than traditional lectures.