Interprofessional Strategies for Emergency Preparedness and Response to Infectious Disease Outbreaks in Healthcare Settings: Integrating Nursing, Laboratory, Health Security, and Administrative Practices
Abstract
Background: Pandemics exert profound pressure on healthcare systems, requiring coordinated responses across clinical, laboratory, health security, and administrative sectors. Historical outbreaks demonstrate how delayed detection, inadequate preparedness, and fragmented communication amplify transmission and mortality.
Aim: This paper aims to examine interprofessional strategies that enhance emergency preparedness and response to infectious disease outbreaks, emphasizing integrated roles for nursing, laboratory personnel, health security professionals, and administrators.
Methods: A comprehensive narrative review of historical pandemics, epidemiological models, and current international preparedness frameworks was conducted, synthesizing practices recommended by WHO and national health agencies.
Results: Findings highlight three critical components of pandemic management: early detection through surveillance and diagnostics; implementation of nonpharmaceutical interventions; and coordinated interprofessional collaboration to ensure continuity of care, resource allocation, and public communication. The analysis identifies key pearls and pitfalls, including diagnostic delays, limited surge capacity, PPE shortages, and the societal impact of prolonged outbreaks.
Conclusion: Effective pandemic response requires synchronized efforts among nurses, laboratory teams, health security personnel, and administrators. A unified, multidisciplinary model strengthens preparedness, reduces morbidity and mortality, and supports healthcare system resilience.
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Authors
Copyright (c) 2024 AbdulLatif Najr Iqbal Al-Otaibi, Saad Majed Saad Aldawsari, Saud Aedh Safr Al Dossari, Mohammad Saeed Mordi Al Dawseri, Ali Mordi Fahad Aldosari, Moubark Obaid Saad Aldawsari, Abdullah Fehaid Alruqi, Abdullah Waleed Jafar, Hezam Mubarak Aldosari, Mohammad Abdulrahman Alfahad, Zaied M Saud Almoteri
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.