Problems In Emergency Management Research Articles

Problems in local emergency management

Local governments (county and city) take the most active role in responding to natural and manmade disasters, yet very little is understood about the role of the emergency manager-the administrator who organizes and coordinates the emergency response of a community. This article describes the more common organizational niches that emergency managers are placed into, and it examines some of the political, institutional, and budgetary constraints that hinder the emergency manager's operations. Finally, it suggests strategies for solving these problems and identifies areas for further research.

A Coordinated Consultation Program for Nurses and Psychiatrists

Because independent consultation services were inefficient, a coordinated consultation program was established for psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses working with medical and surgical patients. Joint participation in regular case-conferences and work-rounds facilitated communication, provided cohesion of purpose, and enlarged the sources of referral for nursing consultations. Staff nurses and patients benefitted: emergency management problems were forestalled, the team approach was reinforced, and opportunities for teaching multiplied. The false dichotomy between functional and organic aspects of medical care disappears when psychiatrists, nurses, and students work together with patients who are both medically and psychiatrically ill.