Community Resilience After Hurricanes: Can Neuman's Systems Theory Guide Public Health Nursing?

Area of Science:

• Disaster nursing
• Community resilience
• Public health interventions

Background:

• Hurricane Harvey impacted southeast Texas, highlighting community vulnerability to natural disasters.
• Understanding community responses and resilience is crucial for disaster preparedness and recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine community resilience following Hurricane Harvey.
• To assess the applicability of Neuman's systems model for public health nurses in disaster situations.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, exploratory study utilizing a convenience sample of 1,470 respondents.
• Data collected via the Hurricane Harvey Survey.

Main Results:

• Many residents had prior hurricane experience but underestimated Harvey's severity, with significant home and personal property damage.
• Positive coping mechanisms and community support were evident, with social networks playing a key role in communication and assistance.
• Awareness of available resources was low (35%), and access to typical resources was limited, indicating a need for improved medical accessibility.

Conclusions:

• Southeast Texas residents demonstrated significant individual and community resilience, supported by positive coping and social networks.
• Neuman's systems model provides a framework for public health nurses to implement primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies.
• Mobile medical units and enhanced communication strategies are recommended to strengthen community resilience and address healthcare access gaps during disasters.