WMD/HAZMAT Protection Training for Health Professionals

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant) This e-learning course for WMD/HAZMAT Protection Training (PROTECT) for Health Professionals performing as skilled support personnel (SSP) will be available on a 24/7/365 basis and provide much needed assistance in recognizing hazardous materials and understanding their effects, properly identifying items of protective equipment, gaining knowledge of how to don (put on) them correctly and how to perform essential roles and responsibilities in a hazardous environment while wearing protective equipment. The Phase I approach will focus on implementing the Instructional Systems Development (ISO) methodology in identifying and documenting specific training needs (requirements), developing appropriate learning objectives, designing the course to train these and developing a sample e-learning lesson to provide a tangible demonstration of the concept. PROTECT e-learning components will include a web portal, learning management system (LMS), instructional content (lesson materials) and intelligent tutor exercises. At the web portal, SSP will be able to access the PROTECT e-learning course through which they will gain the training necessary to protect themselves properly and still perform their duties effectively when responding to a WMD/ HAZMAT incident. Through the exercises the learner must apply the knowledge learned in the lessons to solve real-world problems he/she is likely to encounter. Public health and emergency response organizations are ready now to use effective training of this type for SSP and to augment their current internal training in the proper use of protective equipment. The relevance of this research to public health is simply that the more knowledge and better understanding SSP (identified as health professionals in this application) have of hazardous materials, protective equipment, its proper use and how to work effectively while wearing it the better they will be able to apply their skills, capabilities and resources beneficially in support of first responders during a WMD/HAZMAT incident.