Education and Training of Hospital Workers Who Are Essential Personnel during a Disaster

The authors surveyed bioterrorism coordinators and emergency managers for 31 hospitals in a suburban area to determine which staff members were considered “essential” for disaster response, and if essential staff had been trained on their emergency response roles. Emergency physicians, nurses, and support staff were the 3 categories of staff most often cited, and some hospitals noted that these staff members had not been trained in their roles.