CU 4

• The best time to prepare for a disaster is before it occurs
• Participate in continuing education on disaster risk reduction and management

  Educating consumers and the community gives them the knowledge they need to make it safely through a disaster and help others. Knowledge can also do much to alleviate fear and anxiety
• Nurses serve as an essential resource and can hold a wide range of responsibilities related to disaster preparedness and response
• Extreme devastation can occur from both man-made and natural disasters
• Nurses play a major role in responding to disasters to help ensure the best possible outcomes
• Proper use of materials and equipment during drills

  PPEs, fire escape, fire extinguisher, emergency routes, communication devices
• Institution/Community disaster response

  Task delineation and delegation in the event of a disaster
• Preparing self and family


  Some nurses have family members who rely on them. Personal preparation with an emergency plan and basic emergency supplies can help to ensure their families' safety while easing the nurse's worries. Other things to consider include arranging a meeting place if separated, ensuring reliable communication, and compiling important paperwork
• Identification of agencies (GOs and NGOs) and their roles/responsibilities in disaster risk reduction and management

  Assisting during a disaster. Collaboration of the nurse and NGOs may be assigned a variety of tasks during a disaster such as delivering first aid and medication, assessing the state of victims, and monitoring mental health needs
• If inadequately prepared, a nurse can be more of a hindrance than a help in disaster relief efforts
• Nurses may encounter challenges such as balancing professional and personal obligations, dealing with restrictions to volunteering, working with limited resources and supplies, facing potential security and safety threats, dealing with legal implications related to practicing outside of the nurse's specialty area, having to work in uncontrolled physical environments, struggling with life-and-death situations and difficult ethical decisions
• Disasters are catastrophic events that often result in extensive property damage and loss of life
• Institution/Community disaster response

  Written plan familiarization
• Dealing with restrictions to volunteering that depend upon training and immunization.
• Working with limited resources and supplies.
• Facing potential security and safety threats such as violence or infectious diseases.
• Dealing with legal implications related to practicing outside of nurse's specialty area.
• Having to work in uncontrolled physical environments.
• Struggling with life-and-death situations and difficult ethical decisions.