Emergency/Disaster Preparedness and Management Extension Service Program of the UNP College of Nursing

Abstract

The study determined the level of awareness and implementation of Emergency/Disaster Preparedness and Management Extension Service Program of the UNP-College of Nursing among residents of Lidlidda, Ilocos Sur during the calendar year 2007. It also looked into the profile of the respondents and correlated it with their level of awareness and implementation. The respondents of this study were 106 beneficiaries of the CN Extension Service Program comprising of 70.68% of the total population of all the respondents. The descriptive method of research was utilized The data were gathered through the use of questionnaire coupled with documentary analysis. The data gathered were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean and Chi-square (6) test. The salient findings of the study are as follows: more than half of the respondents are females (53.77%), married (52.83%), and within the age bracket of 31-50 years old (64.26%); majority ofthe respondents are educated with 24.54% who are high school graduates; 18.87% college level and 24.91% college graduates; the respondents have varied occupation with almost 1/3 (29.26%) who are engaged infarming. The level of awareness of the respondents on emergency/disaster preparedness and management is "very high" as shown by a "very high" level of awareness on preparedness and management of wounds (6=3.20), drowning (6=3.34), heart attack (6=3.28), electrocution (6=3.30), gunshot or stab wounds (6=3.33), severe bleeding (&=3.45), burns (6=3.33), poisoning (6=3.40), seizure (=3.46), dog bite (6=3.36), snake bite (6=3.38) and fracture (6=3.46). A "high" level of awareness was also exhibited in the preparedness and management of nose
bleeding (=2.68), fainting (=3.08), insect bite (6=2.92) and choking (6=3.17). On the other hand, the respondents exhibited a "very high" level of implementation in the preparedness and management of nose bleeding (6=3.29) and insect bites (6=3.88) only. A "high" level was observed in fainting 6=2.87), wounds (=2.94), choking (6=2.78), dog bite (6=3.11) and snake bite (G =2.76). Mean scores of2.15, 1.88 and 2.0 showed an "average" level ofimplementation in the preparedness and management of heart attack, seizure and fracture respectively. A "ow" level was exhibited in drowning (a=1.34), burns (6=1.48), and poisoning (j=1.35) and "very low" in gunshot orstab wounds ($=0.64). Chi-square results showed that the age significantly influenced the respondents' level of awareness on emergency/disaster preparedness and management of fainting (17.2), insect bites (21.3), chocking (18.3), severe bleeding (I4.6), poisoning (15.7) and seizures/epilepsy (I7.6); sex on severe bleeding (15.3); educational attainment on fever (I6.3), gunshot wounds (19.3), severe bleeding (20.1), poisoning (212), and seizures/epilepsy (15.8); and civil status on nose bleeding (13.5), gunshot wounds (21.5), severe bleeding (18.7) andpoisoning (13.6) at 0.05 probability level. The occupation ofthe respondents has no bearing on their level of awareness. There is significant relationship between age and the level of implementation on emergency/disaster preparedness and management of nose bleeding (24.3), insect bites (20.5), and snake bites (15.7); sex on severe bleeding (22.8;, educational attainment on fever (20.4) and poisoning (18.3); and civil status on insect bites (22.7), and choking (18. 5). Occupation did not influence at all in the level of implementation. Based on the conclusions, the following recommendations are forwarded: a follow-up training should be conducted to further develop the skills of the people and reiterate the importance/significance ofimplementing and applying what they learned to cope with the advancing technology; similar extension program should be conducted in other upland municipalities to enhance their capabilities in disaster preparedness and management, and a copy ofthe result of the study should be given to the municipal mayor of Lidlidda to further assess his program on disaster preparedness and management as basis for budget allocation on such program.