Healthcare Online: The Internet as an “Essential Function” During an Emergency
Edward L. Beard, MSN, RN, CNAA

$3.95 		JONA's Healthcare Law, Ethics, and Regulation
March 2003 
Volume 5  Number 1
Pages 2 - 3
 
  PDF Version Available!

ABSTRACT
Anyone who turned on a television or radio the week after the Thanksgiving holiday realized that much of North Carolina was without power. Healthcare facilities were prepared, and while there were adjustments, for the most part there was no interruption of essential services. One observation regarding my hospital's prioritization came from the CEO who commented that he went into his office, which is on an interior corridor on the lowest level of the building, and realized that Administration was not 'essential' because the emergency generators did not provide power to that part of the facility.

In reassessing the situation after power was restored, it became obvious that although our emergency plans had been recently updated, only living with a plan will show you the true deficiencies. In my particular case, I recognized immediately that I use the Internet much differently and more frequently than I did just a few short years ago, and the need to provide emergency power and Internet access, through alternate methods if necessary in the event of an emergency, is a facet of operations that must be addressed.

Whether the disruption of normal operations occurs as a result of political conditions somewhere in the world or through Mother Nature's gentle reminders that humans are not nearly as 'in charge' as we would like to think, healthcare functions continue and the resources upon which nurse executives rely must remain accessible. Although emergency crews did an excellent job of restoring the medical center's power and other utilities as quickly as possible, I thought it might be interesting to do a quick overview of my use of the Internet during the 4 days that much of our city was without power.

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