Hospital First Receivers: Detecting Radioactive Contamination (PER-370)

Course Description:

This one-day course provides hospital first receivers/healthcare workers with essential knowledge and skills that will assist them when responding to a radiological/nuclear weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) incident in the safest manner possible for themselves and victims. The course will provide the participants with information on how to use radiological tools and contamination management processes to limit the spread and exposure to radioactive contaminants. The best practices presented in this course can be applied to any incident that involves radiological contamination.

 This training course is designed to provide healthcare workers with baseline knowledge and skills to manage radiological contamination that may be present in the facilities or found on patients and staff. This will be accomplished using scenarios and examples of controls that provide protective actions that can minimize health risks while performing emergency medical services after a radiological/nuclear WMD incident. 

Target Audience:

The target audience is healthcare workers termed first receivers, specifically those workers at a site remote from the location of the hazardous substance release and who are considered a subset of the first responders in the field, such as firefighters, law enforcement, EMS and ambulance service personnel who would typically respond to the incident site.

 The “first receivers” include personnel in the following roles: clinicians (physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians’ assistants) and other hospital staff who have a role in receiving and treating contaminated victims (e.g., triage, decontamination, medical treatment, and security) and those whose roles support these functions (e.g., set up and patient tracking)”, according to OSHA Best Practices for Hospital-Based First Receivers of Victims from Mass Casualty Incidents Involving the Release of Hazardous Substances.

Prerequisites: 1 hour online course

AWR-140 or AWR-140-W Awareness and Response to Radiological/Nuclear Incidents 

Continuing Education and Cost:

This course is offered at no cost to participants. Upon the successful completion, participants will receive a course completion certificate for 6.5 hours of EMS Continuing Education and/or BRN Contact hours. Provider is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 1028 for 6.5 contact hours. CA EMS CE provided by San Joaquin General Hospital CEP# 39-0020.