You are the infection control nurse of a 100-bed inpatient healthcare facility. With the increasing potential for a communicable disease exposure in your facility, the chief clinical officer has tasked you with the creation of a hospital response plan for a communicable disease outbreak in your healthcare facility. Instructions: Create a hospital response plan that effectively addresses a healthcare facility’s actions in response to a communicable disease outbreak of your choosing. The response plan should: Identify a communicable disease and explain why this particular disease necessitates a response plan. Be supported by current evidence. Include guidance on the following: Logistics: adequate physical resources and services required Triage: appropriate protocols and location Communication: timely and effective contact internal and external of the facility regarding a suspected or confirmed outbreak Infection control: sufficient measures to protect hospital employees, patients, and the public Human resources: efficient management of human capital in response to a suspected or confirmed outbreak Responsibilities of various hospital departments: effective interventions by primary and ancillary departments in response to a suspected or confirmed outbreak Reflect the nurse’s ability to: Assess and identify the disease outbreak Support containment and treatment of the disease Facilitate timely communication regarding the outbreak
