Australia: Lessons learnt from disasters

A major nursing service provider claims that recent natural disasters, such as bushfires, prompted improvements of policies in community care, reports Nursing Review. She said that although fire plans were in place, people were not prepared enough.

Rosemary Hogan, the general manager of client services for the Royal District Nursing Service said that following the devastating 2009 fires in Victoria, the organization has worked on raising bushfire awareness as well as giving information about heat waves, which can precede fires. In addition, staff communication has been enhanced: now they receive text message alerts about flooded areas, for example.

“I think all of these events have highlighted the need for us all to have a heightened sense of our environment, and the necessity of having good plans in place for when risks arise,” she said.