Abstract:
Abstract
Terrorist attacks are increasingly becoming more lethal and less discriminate. The threat
of bioterrorism is increasing daily. The ease of production and the broad availability of
biological agents and technical know-how have led to a further spread of biological
weapons and an increased desire among nations as well as terrorists to have them.
Health professionals in emergency departments are expected to play crucial roles in the
management of victims of bioterrorism when bioterrorism occurs. This study explored
the knowledge, attitudes, and preparedness of emergency department nurses and
medical officers (MOs) toward potential bioterrorist attacks in Ghana. This qualitative
study utilized focus group discussions and semistructured interviews to explore the
knowledge, attitudes, and preparedness of emergency department nurses and MOs
toward potential bioterrorist attacks in Ghana. Data were subjected to a qualitative
content analysis in which three main thematic categories were developed. These
thematic categories are as follows: (a) differences in bioterrorism knowledge between
emergency department nurses and emergency department MOs, (b) unprepared
emergency department nurses and MOs for care during bioterrorism attacks, and (c)
positive attitudes of emergency department nurses and MOs toward bioterrorism
preparedness. Although emergency MOs had better knowledge of bioterrorism than
their nursing counterparts, both groups of health professionals were unprepared to
respond to any form of bioterrorism. Both nurses and MOs indicated the need for staff
education and infrastructure readiness to be able to respond effectively to a bioterrorist
attack. A well-prepared emergency department and health professionals against
bioterrorism could prevent high casualty rates in a bioterrorist attack and also serve a
dual purpose of dealing with other natural disasters when they occur.
Keywords: Ashanti; Ghana; bioterrorism; emergency; preparedness.
