Community Teaching Work Plan Proposal: Bioterrorism and Disaster

This document presents a community teaching work plan proposal focused on bioterrorism and disaster planning, tailored for a local fire department as part of an RN to BSN program at Grand Canyon University. The plan emphasizes the importance of community awareness and preparedness for bioterrorism events, including diseases like anthrax and smallpox, and integrates Healthy People 2020 objectives. It covers epidemiological rationales, nursing diagnoses, readiness for learning, and the utilization of learning theories such as the Bandura's social learning theory. The proposal outlines behavioral objectives, teaching strategies, and evaluation methods, including written tests, experimental tests, and quizzes, to assess the effectiveness of the teaching plan. It also addresses the importance of therapeutic communication for handling victims in bioterrorism scenarios. The proposal also highlights the relevance of the Alma Ata's Health for All Global Initiatives and the importance of community service and state initiatives in providing a proper healthy environment.

Community Teaching Work Plan Proposal
Planning and Topic
Bioterrorism/Disaster
Planning Before Teaching:
Name and Credentials of Teacher:
Estimated Time Teaching Will Last:
The RN to BSN programs usually takes
2-3 years.
Location of Teaching:
“Grand Canyon University”
Supplies, Material, Equipment Needed:
All supplies, materials and equipment
needed for RN to BSN program will be
supplied by the university. This
includes presentation slides, projectors,
black/ white boards, books related to
topic, etc.
Estimated Cost:
The Grand Canyon University provides
dynamic tuition fees depending on the
student’s qualification. The RN to BSN
program has an average per credit cost of $470.
Community and Target Aggregate: The community teaching work plan proposal is
targeted to a local fire department. The work plan proposal includes communicating
therapeutically with patients. The goal for this community teaching plan is to prepare the
fire department for Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) objectives.
Topic: The topic of the community teaching plan is Bioterrorism/ Disaster.
Identification of Focus for Community Teaching (Topic Selection):
Community teaching is an important teaching practice that should be followed by all and
schools, parents and the community must work together for health and well-being of everyone in
the community. Community teaching can be of any topic based on the necessity at that time
period. Biology lessons on smallpox and anthrax has been only a topic of discussion only in
biology classes and how worldwide campaigns can help to eradicate them. However, since

September 11, 2001, the tragic events in the United States has opened up a topic in the
community teaching on infectious diseases. Diseases like smallpox and anthrax are no longer
considered as rare and vanquished threats of public health and is now considered to be potential
weapons of terror used by outside people with malicious intent to harm the population of the
country. Due to this change in perspective, community teaching on the nature of diseases,
function of cells and other elemental concepts of biology is important to become aware and
prepared for such bioterrorism activities and the disasters that might follow (Venugopalan et al.,
2016). This is why, the focus of this community teaching plan is bioterrorism and disaster that
should be taught to a local fire department by the registered nurses in Grand Canyon University
under the RN to BSN program. Additionally, therapeutic communication is also a part of the
teaching plan so that the fire fighters are able to communicate and handle the victims and
patients in a real-life situation of bioterrorism.
Epidemiological Rationale for Topic (Statistics Related to Topic):
As the phrase says, familiarity lessens fear. That is why, making a community familiar with the
concepts of bioterrorism makes them aware of the consequences and prepared for resolving the
issues. However, lessening the fear can also be bad if it desensitizes people of the consequences
of violence. For this reason, appropriate education methods are required to make people
understand the rationale of bioterrorism. In the present worldwide scenario, the deliberate release
or threatening to release various biological agents like bacteria, viruses, fungi and other
microbial toxins for causing deaths and diseases to a human population is a huge possibility. This
is generally targeted towards normal citizens and also pressurize the government for promoting
their own personal agenda. The major step to prevent bioterrorism is the identification of such
an event in the first place through awareness, suspicion and high-quality surveillance system.
American Anthrax Outbreak of 2001
A deliberate spread of anthrax in the United States in September-November 2001 caused 5
deaths and almost 22 people were infected. Several preventive methods were launched liked
anthrax outbreak investigation, disease onset graphs, case histories and other epidemiologic
conclusions.
Epidemiologic Approach
The includes standard epidemiologic investigation consisting of laboratory and clinical evidence
to confirm the outbreak of a disease.
Epidemic Curve
The Epidemic curve is calculated by using collected data gathered from various cases overtime.
In a naturally occurring disease outbreak, the number of infected people gradually increases as
they are exposed to other infected individuals. However, when a large portion of the population
is exposed to the disease, they slowly become immune to it and the epidemic curve gradually
decreases again. However, in case of planned bioterrorism attack the epidemiological curve is
similar and hard to detect. The incubation period of diseases can be calculated from the time of
exposure of the infected people (Ryan, 2016). From this information, an intentional attack can be
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identified as incubation period is shorter in a deliberate attack due to high inoculum and effective
exposure route.
Epidemiologic Clues
As naturally occurring disease outbreaks has same curves as intentional attacks, other
characteristics should be considered to determine the type of outbreak. When combined together
the following clues help in determining whether the attack was intentional or not.
 Presence of more severe epidemic than normal estimation.
 Extreme cases of disease with unusual routes of exposure
 Unusual disease in a specific geographic region or outside of normal transmission season.
 Multiple diseases take the form of an epidemic simultaneously.
 Outbreak affecting both humans and animals.
 Intelligence gathering on spreading agents.
 Claims by terrorist organizations.
All this epidemiological rationale is necessary for the community teaching plan proposal.
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Teaching Plan Criteria
The teaching plan can only be considered successful if the fire department staff is able to
understand the importance of awareness regarding bioterrorism disaster and is able to handle any
real-life scenario in case such a situation arises. However, this can also be calculated by
conducting an experiment where the fire department candidates are requires to use therapeutic
communication with patients from a local hospital. This would prove the effectiveness of the
teaching plan. The following criterions are also necessary for the teaching plan.
Nursing Diagnosis:
A nursing diagnosis is a part of the nursing process and is quite different from a medical
diagnosis. It is a clinical judgement that includes human response to health conditions and their
vulnerability to that response. It also provides the interventions of nurses to achieve an outcome
for which the nurse is accountable. The processes of a nursing diagnosis consist of steps like
Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation and Evaluation. There can be multiple types
of nursing diagnosis like actual diagnosis that determines the current health problem. The health
promotion diagnosis consists of the patient being eager and ready to learn how to achieve a better
health quality (Urden, Stacy & Lough, 2017).
Readiness for Learning:
The patient’s readiness to learn can be determined by the following steps.
a) Assessing the patient’s learning needs is essential. The nurses can get access to the past
medical records of the patient from reliable sources. The knowledge, skill and attitude
that the patient and his family needs is provided through cognitive, affective and
psychomotor learning process.
b) Diagnosis of the Learning Needs of the Patient. If the patient lacks attitude, knowledge
and skill for self-development, the patient’s family must be included in the diagnosis.
c) Development of a teaching plan ensures the proper use of time and also ensures the
patient’s chances of learning.
d) Implementing the teaching plan consisting of multiple phases extended over a period of
days. Interpersonal skills and effective communication techniques is necessary for
implementing the teaching plan.
e) Evaluation of the teaching-learning process is necessary and this can be achieved through
feedback on learner objectives
Learning Theory to Be Utilized:
Learning theories can be of various types. The learning theory is the chosen method and this
theory consists of four parts.
Attention: Closely observing others and the surrounding natural world is essential for learning
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Retention: The learners must be keen on remembering the information that they have already
learned.
Motor Reproduction: The gathered information must be processed by the learner by converting
the input of information from one type of stimuli to another (Taylor, 2017).
Motivational Process: This includes the repetition of actions that has positive outcome and try to
prevent or limit those actions that can negatively affect them.
This type of learning theory can be applied in class by maintaining high personal standards and
showing the students through repetitive actions to retain new information.
Goal:
The department of health and human services has launched HP2020 which is program designed
for better health and well-being of people in the future. The objectives of the HP 2020 cannot be
directly targeted with the help of this teaching plan. However, of the four overarching goals
presented by the HP2020, the third goal is the development of social and physical environment
that promotes good health for all. By teaching the target fire fighter audiences on bioterrorism
disaster, this overarching goal of HP2020 can be achieved indirectly as awareness on such a
topic is necessary to handle victims of intentional spreading of diseases and take preventive
measures that would definitely create a social and physical environment that promotes good
health for all.
How Does This HP2020 Objective Relate to Alma Ata’s Health for All Global Initiatives
The declaration of Alma Ata’s Health for All Global Initiatives in 1978, consists of a section that
emphasizes the role of state for providing a proper healthy environment and adequate social
measures for all people (Berge et al., 2018). This is related to the overarching goal of HP2020
considered in this teaching plan as community service is an initiative by the state to ensure
availability of people in case help is required in bioterrorism attack.
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Develop Behavioral Objectives (Including Domains), Content, and Strategies/Methods:
Behavioral Objective
and Domain
Content Strategies/Methods
1. When is it necessary for
people to wear gas masks
1. When an epidemiological
curve of infected disease is
on the rise and helping an
infected population is
necessary.
1. Showing practical
example of wearing a gas
mask and protective
clothing.
2. What can be achieved by
wearing gas mask and
protective clothing?
2. Further contamination of
the disease can be avoided
by wearing protective gears
2. Showing pictures slides
of the effects of diseases if
contaminated by not using
protective gear.
3. How can therapeutic
communication help the
patients and victims of
bioterrorism?
3. Provide motivation for
the patient and help them
learn details about the
disease so that they can
improve their own well-
being.
3. Teaching proper lessons
on therapeutic
communication in the class.
4. How can further
contamination be
prevented?
4. Quarantine programs by
the state and confinement in
secured areas can prevent
further contamination.
4. Providing knowledge and
information on how to
prevent further
contamination.
Creativity:
Interactive was of teaching like using projectors and presentation slides were used to make the
teaching program interesting.
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Planned Evaluation of Objectives:
1. Written test to determine how much student has learned and retained knowledge about the
topic.
2. Conducting experimental test by sending students to local hospitals and review their
conversation with patients to understand their ability of therapeutic communication.
3. Conduct quiz in the class for clearing doubts of student about the topic.
4. Written assignment to assess the capability and knowledge of the student on the subject.
Planned Evaluation of Goal:
Creating a mock test in the form of a hypothetical experiment where the fire fighters are required
to perform the steps sequentially in case of bioterrorism outbreak.
Planned Evaluation of Lesson and Teacher (Process Evaluation):
The overall teaching plan was quite effective and every staff member from the fire fighting
department was cooperative and eager to learn about the topic of bioterrorism and what can be
done to prevent it. Additionally, they were all very keen to perform the tests conducted on them
and has gained proper knowledge on how to handle victims of bioterrorism.
Barriers:
The only barrier faced during the teaching process was the lack of a real-life scenario where their
teachings can be practiced and only theoretical knowledge was provided to fight bioterrorism.
Therapeutic Communication
Behavioral management is necessary to capture the interest of the audience in therapeutic
communication. Usage of interpersonal relationship is necessary for exhibiting active listening
from the patient. The active listening helped the firefighters convey medical knowledge about the
disease to the patients. The presentation was concluded with a brief documentary on
bioterrorism. Presentation slides and projectors were used as a form of non-verbal technique for
demonstrating the consequences of bioterrorism.
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Reference List
Berge, J. M., Fertig, A., Tate, A., Trofholz, A., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2018). Who is meeting
the Healthy People 2020 objectives?: Comparisons between racially/ethnically diverse
and immigrant children and adults. Families, Systems, & Health, 36(4), 451.
Ryan, J. (2016). Biosecurity and bioterrorism: containing and preventing biological threats.
Butterworth-Heinemann.
Taylor, E. W. (2017). Transformative learning theory. In Transformative Learning Meets
Bildung (pp. 17-29). Brill Sense.
Urden, L. D., Stacy, K. M., & Lough, M. E. (2017). Critical care nursing: diagnosis and
management. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Venugopalan, V., Trustman, N., Manning, N., Hashem, N., Berkowitz, L., & Hidayat, L. (2016).
Administration of a survey to evaluate the attitudes of house staff physicians towards
antimicrobial resistance and the antimicrobial stewardship programme at a community
teaching hospital. Journal of global antimicrobial resistance, 4, 21-27.
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