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Disaster Preparedness
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Disaster Preparedness by Michael Beach

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Home Help Start Here Syllabus (selected) Schedule Week 1: Introduction & Disaster Cycle Video Lectures Discussion Forums Quizzes Peer Assessments Web Resources

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Syllabus Help

Instructor Teaching Assistant Course Description Course Objectives Textbooks Weekly Schedule Grading Policy Discussion Board Guidelines and Expectations Tips for Success Getting and Giving Help

Syllabus

Instructor
Michael Beach DNP, ACNP-BC, PNP

Assistant Professor

Acute Care Nurse Practitioner University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing As an instructor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, I am responsible for the Trauma and Emergency Preparedness Sub-Specialty within the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Area of Concentration. I have worked in search and rescue and disaster management for the past 15 years. Besides experience with pre-hospital emergency medical treatment, I have particular interest and expertise in tracking, team management, diving, and technical rescue. Return to the top.

Syllabus

Teaching Assistant
Madeline M. Georgino

I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, but earned my Bachelor in Science of Nursing at the University of South Carolina. Currently, I work as a staff nurse at a large regional hospital, on a Trauma/Vascular Surgery Step-Down Unit. I am enrolled in the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner/Doctorate of Nursing Practice program at the University of Pittsburgh with a focus in Trauma and Emergency Preparedness. Return to the top.

Syllabus

Course Description
During this course, students will gain an understanding of the Disaster Cycle, concentrating on the Mitigation Phase. They will examine disaster planning on a personal level developing a disaster plan and examine Awareness and Attitude during disasters and daily life.

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Syllabus

Course Objectives
Upon completion of the course, you will be able to: 1. Describe each phase of the disaster cycle and the purpose of each phase. 2. Identify resources and support systems available to victims on the personal, local, and national levels. 3. Compare and contrast disaster resources and services among countries. 4. Assess your risks, attitudes, and awareness in disaster situations. 5. Develop a personal disaster management plan including water, food, shelter, communication, transportation, and medical issues. Return to the top.

Syllabus

Textbooks
The required textbook is available online: Title: Disaster Response: Principles of Preparation and Coordination. Publication year: 1989 Author/Editor: Auf der Heide, E. URL: http://www.coedmha.org/Media/Disaster_Response_Principals.pdf The following textbook is OPTIONAL: Title: Disaster Preparedness and Management Publication year: 2010 Author/Editor: Michael Beach Publisher: FA Davis In addition to the textbooks, there are numerous websites and articles referenced throughout the course. Return to the top.

Syllabus

Weekly Schedule
Week 1: Introduction & Disaster Cycle Week 2: Personal Preparedness Basics

Week 3: Personal Preparedness Safety Week 4: Attitudes & Awareness Week 5: International Perspectives Week 6: Support & Medical Considerations Return to the top.

Syllabus

Grading Policy
Quizzes (6 x 10 = 60 points) Each week there is a 10-point quiz based on the readings, activities, and lecture material. The purpose of the quizzes is to enhance your retention of the material. You are permitted to refer to lecture slides and other notes during the quizzes. There is no time limit and you have an unlimited number of attempts to take the quiz. After each attempt, you will see feedback on your correct and incorrect answers. The quizzes will be automatically recorded in the gradebook. Personal Disaster Preparedness Plan (40 points) Due: Week 4 See the Instructions for the Personal Disaster Preparedness Plan which also includes the grading criteria. You should begin to work on your plan during Week 2 to assure that you have adequate time for the required research and development of your ideas. During Week 5, your plan will go through a peer review system that collects feedback from three of your classmates and averages the scores assigned by your peers for the final grade. See How do peer assessments work? for more information about the peer review process. Upon successful completion of the six quizzes and your Personal Disaster Preparedness Plan with a final score of 80% or above, you will be able to access a Statement of Accomplishment. With a score of 90% or above you will be able to access a Statement of Accomplishment with Distinction. Return to the top.

Syllabus

Discussion Board Guidelines and Expectations

It is our hope and expectation that we will establish a community of learning that promotes collaboration, respect, and knowledge. Disasters are sensitive and emotional topics for many people. Discussion posts may raise challenging questions or cause offense or misunderstanding. One of us may say something with which you disagree. Consider the following strategies to maintain a rich instructional dialogue that values all perspectives: 1. Allow others to express their thoughts, beliefs, feelings and experiences.

2. Learn by listening to the opinions, stories, perspectives, references, and reactions of others. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. 3. Engage with the issues. Discuss them in an open, respectful manner. 4. If you feel offended, pause to consider the comment. At a later time, respond without placing the individual who made the comment on the defensive. The ideal length of a Discussion Board posting is "an easy read" of one or two paragraphs, but there is no required length. You may use material from external sources (books, articles, Web links), but please give credit to the appropriate source. See the University of Pittsburgh library website guide for information on citing sources in APA style. Return to the top.

Syllabus

Tips for Success

The following strategies will help you be successful in the course: 1. Maintain the schedule of the course suggested in this syllabus. Participate on a regular and frequent basis. Check the course daily. Each week includes one lesson with readings, activities, lectures, and a quiz. 1. Take notes while you read the material and listen to the lectures. By taking notes, you are interacting with the material and will find that it is easier to remember and understand. In addition, your notes will help you complete the weekly quizzes. 3. Note that the Personal Disaster Preparedness Plan is peer reviewed. You will review and provide feedback on 3 plans submit by others, plus you will receive feedback from 3 of your classmates. Plans that are submitted late will not be reviewed; therefore, you will not have the opportunity to earn 40 points to earn the Statement of Accomplishment. Return to the top.

Syllabus

Getting and Giving Help

If you need help, you have options! The following forums are in place to assist you: 1. I Need Help with the Disaster Preparedness Content Use this forum to post non-technical questions about course content from the readings, lectures, and discussion questions. 2. I am Having Technical Problems with the Coursera Platform Use this forum to post a question about Coursera technical issues such as a quiz that won't open or a video that won't play.

3. Suggestions for Next Time Post your suggestions for the next time Disaster Preparedness is offered in this feedback forum. We welcome your ideas to improve the course for future learners. 4. In addition to these forums, you can review the Coursera Student Support Center for information. As a reminder, we are not able to answer emails sent directly to our accounts. Rather, all questions should be posted to one of the above discussion forums. Please help your fellow students by responding with solutions to their questions and problems. Be sure to "vote up" the most important posts. The Teaching Assistant (TA) will monitor these forums and will focus attention on those that have been voted up the most frequently. Return to the top.
Created Mon 25 Jun 2012 10:48 AM PDT (UTC -0700) Last Modified Fri 23 Aug 2013 7:51 AM PDT (UTC -0700)