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Addressing An Epidemic – Helping with Zika Virus Training for Nurses

Zika virusOutbreak – January 2016

It wasn’t that long ago – January 2016 to be exact – that the outbreak of a mosquito-borne virus adversely affecting pregnant women was making its way into the news headlines worldwide.  The Zika virus spread across South America, Central American and the Caribbean and eventually arrived in the southern United States.  Brazil, the hardest hit country, reported cases of infant microcephaly and other disturbing pregnancy outcomes for women who had been infected.   In the same month, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel alert for people traveling to regions where Zika virus transmission was ongoing.  By February 2016, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the Zika virus a “public health emergency of international concern” a rare designation reserved for such devastating scourges as Ebola, polio, and H1N1.

As news of the Zika epidemic reached the public consciousness, health care providers knew time was of the essence and immediate action was needed.  Although health officials and medical personnel had only hazy details about the Zika virus transmission and the existence of what has since been established as an alarming causal link between Zika and associated birth defects, they realized they needed to prepare to manage expectations, raise public awareness, care for pregnant women with Zika and their babies, and martial resources necessary to push back the threat.  Success would rely on a public health and medical workforce primed, trained, and ready for the onslaught.

Addressing an Epidemic – Need for Training

Hospitals and medical personnel – doctors, nurses, and public health officials – are on the front lines 24/7 fighting the Zika virus epidemic.  Because of their central role in containing the virus, training is critical to protect them as well as the general public and care for those women and babies stricken.

So far Zika virus training has proceeded quickly and is widespread throughout the country.  But as the situation changes, so will the need for ongoing and updated training.

With the rising number of infections, hospitals and public health officials around the country are talking with their staff and providing extra training in light of the Zika virus.  Although the Zika virus is not new, the epidemic nature of this recent outbreak is significant and responding to it is requiring a variety of actions by the medical community.  Zika virus training ranges from public education about Zika virus, counseling women who are pregnant or who are planning to become pregnant, revising hospital protocols for testing and handling of specimens, to caring for and monitoring infected pregnant women and babies with Zika-related birth defects both in the short term and long term.

rsvpBOOK  – Health Care Training Management Software

So where does a software company like rsvpBOOK fit into this equation?  rsvpBOOK has been in the forefront of online event registration and management software companies working with the health care community to arrange training and continuing education classes and workshops – and not just for dealing with the Zika virus.

As you are already aware, overworked staff is a reality for many training divisions. Time is a priceless commodity.  Online event registration for hospital training is your much-needed assistant taking care of a multitude of tedious tasks to free you to focus on the training itself.   And wouldn’t you like more time in your day to spend on training materials rather than endless registration and class management details and logistics?

rsvpBOOK.com can help ensure the success of your training program.  Timeslot management, Continuing Education credit tracking, one-click reporting, automatic email reminders, employees changing their registrations, classroom size restrictions, class time updates and other issues which require a great deal of time and energy to manage and execute.   It all comes together in one place with rsvpBOOK to let you make the most of your time and resources.  And, if you’re a non-profit or government entity, we have a discount for you!

Your schedule is tight and exhausting.  rsvpBook will add hours to your day by doing the registration work for you and ease the burden on you and your staff.   So delegate training registration and management to the people who know how to make it work best and give you and your staff a great training experience.  rsvpBOOK – smart, simple online event registration and management software for all your training needs.

Try us at www.rsvpBOOK.com.  Free trials available.