In the state of California we are experiencing natural disasters in the way of forest fires week 5 disc 5
Please do a paragraph about this post with this instruction .
post most have 4 or more sentences .
you also have to have a high quality post from a content perspective. This means it also needs to do more than agree with or praise a class mate. If you agree with a classmate, explain why, give an example, share what you learned in the readings
In the state of California, we are experiencing natural disasters in the way of forest fires. Thousands of acres of beautiful forest are going up in flames. There is loss of life for animals and people. Those able, have had to evacuate to keep their lives but have lost their homes. One of the fires was started by a lightning strike during a thunder storm. Some may view this as an “act of Godâ€. If someone is of the thought that this devastation is at Gods hand, they may be inclined to feel punished by God as the fire destroyed their house and killed their animals. People cry out “Why has God done this to me?†Feeling that God has chosen to forsake them. An individual can also have anger toward God that He allowed this to happen to them. The individual may question their beliefs. All of these feelings can be viewed as spiritual distress (NANDA, 2016). As a community health nurse it is first important to know how you view the event and deal with the loss you see. Then you can help the individual express their feelings and thoughts about the disaster in a non-judgmental way. Recognize their concerns and lend support to expression of their feelings. You can also help them contact a religious figure head in the denomination of their choosing to help with further guidance and acceptance.
For a community that has been devastated by the same fire, they too may feel on the whole, why did the community deserve this? Are there practices in the community that are looked upon as “sinful†that would possibly lift the Lords blessing from the people in the town? The community people may look for sources of the problem in which to “blame†or seek answers as to why this happened to them. Again, this is spiritual distress. The community can also pull together at a time of devastation and pray and find help through God and strengthen each other. As a community health nurse, I would want to focus on rebuilding of the community. Gather all the religious leaders to work together to bring a real sense of hope and spirituality to the people through developing optimism and help to all. It would be helpful too, to have counselors set up for the community people to be able to connect in small groups to discuss feelings and share thoughts.
As victims come in as a result of the fires, health care providers will see friends, perhaps family members affected by the devastation. They may experience guilt they were spared any hardship while a neighbor down the road was hit hard, they may also experience anxiety and trauma depending on how many people they may be treating at the hospital for example. Some workers may have to work double shifts and not get rest due to the overload. They themselves may have homes or loved ones in the path of the fire and feel helpless to do anything to save their own. They too may question, “Why is this happening?†Some will suffer from burnout, and spiritual distress as well.
For your own spiritual health, one can find support in small groups, church and one on one discussions with trusted spiritual leaders. Some may elect to spend time reading the Bible and seek answers or peace through prayer. The answer may not always come, but many find peace and grace in prayer. For colleagues, sharing opinions and thoughts is a healthy way to see others points of view and offer some insight that you may of missed. Talking at work about what you experience is a way to decompress and destress after a disaster.
No matter the individual, a community, or a healthcare worker, all need to feel they can be heard and have either an open dialogue with God, allowed to question, wrestle with, or seek understanding as to why disasters of any kind happen, natural or manmade (Smith, 2013). Places of employment, hospitals, schools and the community set up counselors to meet with people who may need to connect with someone during trying times. It is the role of the public community nurse to help people navigate through to find the assistance and guidance they need.