Paper presented at the 7th International Conference for Emergency Nurses, Gold Coast, Australia, 8th October 2009.

1. The pre-hospital role of nurses: The 2009 Black Saturday Victorian Bushfires Mr Jamie Ranse: Clinical Manager, Emergency Department – Calvary Health Care ACT Chief Nursing Officer, St John Ambulance Australia Mr Brett Aimers: State Professional Officer, St John Ambulance Australia (Victoria) Mr Shane Lenson: Manager of Emergency Department Services– Calvary Health Care ACT

2. Overview Background Aims Method Results Discussion

3. Background ‘Black Saturday’ Bushfires – Victoria 2009 Australia's health care response to disasters Familiar with the threat of natural disasters Real world disasters not tested St John Ambulance Australia Clinical accreditation framework Health care professionals in St John Role of St John in the bushfires Cross boarder arrangements Experience / education

4. Aim To describe the clinical experience, disaster training / education, and disaster experience of nurses who participated in the February 2009 Victorian Bushfire response and recovery as a member of St John Ambulance Australia.

5. Method Phase 1: retrospective mailed survey Exploratory and descriptive Purposive sample - nursing members of St John 40 Victorian nurses ~20 Nurses from other jurisdictions Content validity Descriptive statistics Response: 37.5% (15) Limitations

6. Results PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OUTLINED BELOW

7. Results Demographics: Gender

8. Results Demographics: Age

9. Results St John Ambulance Experience: Membership years

10. Results Nursing and Midwifery Experience

11. Results Nursing and Midwifery Experience: Qualifications

12. Results Nursing and Midwifery Experience: Nursing Years

13. Results Nursing and Midwifery Experience: Hours worked

14. Results Nursing and Midwifery Experience: Years worked

15. Results Disaster Education:

16. Results Disaster Training:

17. Results Disaster Experience:

18. Results ‘Black Saturday’ Experience: Hours volunteered

19. Results ‘Black Saturday’ Experience: Roles

20. Results ‘Black Saturday’ Experience: Support

21. Discussion Demographics Nursing characteristics Disaster education / training Disaster experience Better understand broader nursing workforce Experience Training and education needs Willingness Process for cross-boarder deployment Identification for identifying appropriate nurses

22. The pre-hospital role of nurses: The 2009 Black Saturday Victorian Bushfires Mr Jamie Ranse: Clinical Manager, Emergency Department – Calvary Health Care ACT Chief Nursing Officer, St John Ambulance Australia Mr Brett Aimers: State Professional Officer, St John Ambulance Australia (Victoria) Mr Shane Lenson: Manager of Emergency Department Services– Calvary Health Care ACT