Q&A With Michael Guttenberg From North Shore LIJ: Emergency Medical Personnel Learn From Each Event
There may be no such thing as a typical day in the emergency department of a hospital but as each new case comes in those involved have the chance to sharpen their skills and learn for the next big event.
In hospital medicine preparing for an emergency starts long before the patient comes through the door. How the institutions handle the work they do to prepare varies as much as the locations themselves.
While there may be no such thing as a routine visit to the emergency department when a mass casualty event strikes it is up to the people at the hospital to be ready no matter the situation. Whether it is a bus accident or a terrorist attack each situation poses its own unique challenges and also provides chances to learn for the future.
From the terrorist attacks in Boston and New York to Hurricane Sandy emergency departments throughout the east coast of the United States have faced unprecedented challenges. Taking those events and learning from them can only help in case those skills are needed again at the same levels in the future.
