Evolving Case Study in an Infectious Disease Outbreak Investigation
Gap statement
Population health focused on health promotion and disease prevention is an essential competency element to the Nurse Practitioner (NP) education curriculum (AACN, 2013). With emerging outbreaks of infectious diseases such as measles (CDC, 2013) and Ebola (CDC, 2014), it is important for NP students to be able to understand and use epidemiological information, assess for communicable diseases, understand their state guidelines and policies for reporting communicable diseases and collaborate with the public health departments and community organizations to contain and inform the public on these diseases.
Purpose statement
The purpose of this presentation is to give NP faculty an example of an unfolding case study using a scenario of a patient that has just traveled from India presenting to their primary care provider with a fever and rash to simulate an outbreak investigation. Students are expected in this unfolding case study to:
• ask the important questions in the history of the presenting illness,
• order the appropriate diagnostic tests based on signs and symptoms provided,
• report the suspected disease as required via their state health department guidelines,
• communicate/collaborate with their health care team and with their local health department in case identification and follow up
• and demonstrate leadership skills in promoting evidence-based guidelines for disease prevention and control when educating the public.
Objectives
At the end of this presentation, the NP faculty will be able to:
1. Develop an evolving case study to be used to simulate an outbreak investigation.
2. Incorporate teaching strategies to emphasize the need for infection control measures and prevention education.
3. Discuss inter-professional collaborative practice outreaches with other health care schools and agencies on how to educate students and healthcare workers to respond to an outbreak, including how to discuss with patients, families and communities the importance of isolation precautions, basic hygiene and the importance of immunizations in preventable diseases.