Disaster Nursing

• Disaster is a sudden, catastrophic event that causes significant disruption, destruction, and distress, often overwhelming the affected community's ability to cope using its resources
• Disasters result in deaths, injuries, illness, and property damage that cannot be effectively managed using routine procedures or resources and require outside assistance
• Disaster nursing is the adaptation of professional nursing knowledge, skills, and attitude in recognizing and meeting the nursing, health, and emotional needs of disaster victims
• Disaster nurses play a critical role in managing the health and well-being of individuals affected by emergencies, ensuring rapid and effective response to mitigate further harm and promote recovery
• Disasters can be caused by natural hazards like earthquakes, floods, or disease outbreaks, as well as human-made hazards including industrial accidents, chemical spills, or unsafe infrastructure
• Hazards are conditions or events with the potential to cause harm, and their identification is crucial for risk assessment and disaster preparedness
• Disasters can be classified based on onset (sudden-onset or slow-onset), impact (natural or man-made), duration (acute/short-term or chronic/long-term), and other categories like internal and external disasters
• There are three phases of a disaster: pre-impact phase, impact phase, and post-impact phase
• During the pre-impact phase, warnings are given, emergency preparedness plans are activated, and communication is established to prepare for the disaster
• The impact phase is when the disaster occurs, and it is a time of enduring hardship or injury as individuals try to survive
• The post-impact phase involves recovery and the return to normal community order and functioning, with victims going through stages of emotional response including denial, strong emotional response, acceptance, and recovery
• The disaster continuum, also known as the Emergency Management Cycle, consists of three phases: pre-impact (0-24 hours), impact (24-72 hours), and post-impact (more than 72 hours)
• Disaster epidemiology involves the study of health-related determinants, distribution of events, adverse health effects of disasters, and contributory factors to the effects of disasters to match available resources to the needs of disaster-affected populations