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Perceptions of the Utility and Acceptability of an Emergency Child Minding Service for Health Staff

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 December 2014

Jenine Lawlor ,
Richard C. Franklin ,
Peter Aitken ,
Bethany Hooke ,
Jeremy Furyk  and
Andrew Johnson
Jenine Lawlor*
Affiliation:
College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Richard C. Franklin
Affiliation:
College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Peter Aitken
Affiliation:
College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia Townsville Hospital and Health Services, Emergency Department, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
Bethany Hooke
Affiliation:
Townsville Hospital and Health Services, Emergency Department, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
Jeremy Furyk
Affiliation:
College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia Townsville Hospital and Health Services, Emergency Department, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
Andrew Johnson
Affiliation:
College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia Townsville Hospital and Health Services, Emergency Department, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Jenine Lawlor, The Townsville Hospital, PO Box 670, Townsville QLD 4810, Australia (e-mail: Jenine.Lawlor@health.qld.gov.au).
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Abstract

Objective

Tropical Cyclone Yasi in North Queensland activated the disaster management plans at The Townsville Hospital, including the establishment of an emergency child minding service to facilitate the return of staff to work.

Methods

This report describes the establishment of this service and the results of brief electronic surveys that were distributed in the 2 weeks following the cyclone to gather feedback from staff who had placed their children in the care of the service (consumers), staff who had manned the service (staff), and allied health managers whose staff had manned the service (managers).

Results

Overall, approximately 94 episodes of care were provided by the child minding service. All consumers responded “‘yes’” in answer to the question of whether the emergency child minding service facilitated their return to work in the immediate post-disaster period. The survey also identified that a lack of effective advertising may have prevented further uptake of the child minding service.

Conclusions

The provision of an emergency child minding service facilitated the return to work of health care staff immediately after Tropical Cyclone Yasi. More research is needed to understand the effect disaster type has on the uptake of a child minding service. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;8:485-488)

Keywords

disaster planningcyclonic stormsemergency responders
Type
Brief Reports
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 8 , Supplement 6 , December 2014 , pp. 485 - 488
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2014 

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References

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Supplementary material: File

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