For this activity, you will prepare a reflection paper. Reflect on the concepts you have learned during your readings pertaining to the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS). There are many times that the hospital will be involved in an emergency situation, either internally or externally, requiring the establishment of a HICS (e.g., during a pandemic or an active shooter/threat situation). In preparation for your reflection paper, consider the questions below.
- What are some of the necessary steps that would need to be taken regarding the establishment of HICS and triaging any incoming patients to your hospital?
- How would you communicate with local agencies that are willing to assist you during times of extreme circumstances during an active shooter/threat situation with multiple victims being transported to your location?
- What do you understand completely?
- What did not quite make sense?
You are not required to answer these questions in your paper, but think about them while formulating your responses to the prompts below. The purpose of this assignment is to provide you with the opportunity to reflect on the material you have read and to expand on it. If you are unclear about a concept, either review it in the eTextbook, or ask your professor. This is not a summary but, rather, a reflection paper is an opportunity for you to express your thoughts about the material you are studying by writing about it. Reflection writing is a great way to study because it gives you a chance to process what you have learned and increases your ability to remember it. Use the guidelines below as you reflect on the course material and respond to the following questions in your paper.
- What are your thoughts about the main topics pertaining to HICS?
- Why are these topics or concepts important in the emergency services management field?
- Can you apply them to a personal life situation that you may have been involved in when responding to an emergency, working with hospitals, or working with other agencies? How?
Your reflection paper should be at least two pages in length. Use your own words, and include citations and references for other articles as needed to avoid plagiarism. Adhere to APA Style when constructing this assignment, including in-text citations and references for all sources that are used. Please note that no abstract is needed.
