%0 Journal Article
%T Healthcare worker competencies for disaster training
%A Edbert B Hsu
%A Tamara L Thomas
%A Eric B Bass
%A Dianne Whyne
%A Gabor D Kelen
%A Gary B Green
%J BMC Medical Education
%D 2006
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1472-6920-6-19
%X The conceptual development of cross-cutting competencies incorporated current evidence through a systematic consensus building process with the following steps: (1) review of peer-reviewed literature on relevant content areas and educational theory; (2) structured review of existing competencies, national level courses and published training objectives; (3) synthesis of new cross-cutting competencies; (4) expert panel review; (5) refinement of new competencies and; (6) development of testable terminal objectives for each competency using similar processes covering requisite knowledge, attitudes, and skills.Seven cross-cutting competencies were developed: (1) Recognize a potential critical event and implement initial actions; (2) Apply the principles of critical event management; (3) Demonstrate critical event safety principles; (4) Understand the institutional emergency operations plan; (5) Demonstrate effective critical event communications; (6) Understand the incident command system and your role in it; (7) Demonstrate the knowledge and skills needed to fulfill your role during a critical event. For each of the cross-cutting competencies, comprehensive terminal objectives are described.Cross-cutting competencies and objectives developed through a systematic evidence-based consensus building approach may serve as a foundation for future hospital healthcare worker training and education in disaster preparedness and response.Although healthcare worker training has long been accepted as an integral part of disaster preparedness, traditional training practices have not been systematically developed, rigorously examined or objectively tested. Only in recent years, under the increased scrutiny of accelerated institutional and governmental preparedness efforts, has the emerging sciences of emergency preparedness and medical education converged and a body of evidence concerning effective practices for healthcare workforce education begun to arise. The development of higher
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6920/6/19