Disaster Planning

Disaster Preparedness Proactive planning is designed to structure the disaster response prior to its occurrence. Effective planning focuses on the problems that have the potential of occurring. There are two types of disasters: natural and man-made. Natural disasters are the result of an ecological disruption or threat that exceeds the adjustment capacity of the affected community(World Health Organization), for example, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Man-made disasters are emergency situations caused by human beings, for example, biological and biochemical terrorism, chemical spills, and nuclear events. Health care facilities may also identify disasters as external or internal. External disasters occur outside the hospital, involve a large number of injured persons who will be sent to the hospital, do not affect health care facilities infrastructure but do place a strain on their resources. Internal disasters cause disruption of routine services and result in a large number of persons getting injured. The two types of disaster planning are agent-specific approach and all-hazards approach. Agent-specific approach focuses on preparing for disasters that are most likely to occur in a community due to such factors as geographic locations (e.g., hurricane). All-hazard approach is a conceptual model that incorporates components of disaster management that are consistent across all types of disaster events, as many disasters have similarities.

MAJOR CHALLENGES IN DISASTER PLANNING Communication is a major priority in any disaster plan. Planning for ways that health care workers and the public can receive accurate information is critical. Leadership responsibilities and the distribution of all types of resources need to be determined in advance. Advance warning and evacuation procedures need to be included in the planning. Use of mass media to disseminate information to the public, particularly regarding health problems such as water safety or food contamination is important. Triage and distribution of patients to health care facilities is crucial at the time of a disaster.

NURSING ROLE Nurses should actively participate in the development of the disaster plan. They should define their roles across the disaster continuum. They should initiate disaster prevention measures such as removal of hazards, establish early warning systems, or develop public awareness campaigns. Nurse managers should identify educational needs of the nursing staff and other members of the health

care community. The nursing department needs to maintain a nursing database to be able to rapidly mobilize nurse resources. EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN Purpose: An emergency response plan is needed to have an organizational structure and procedures in place to respond to major emergencies. Such a plan addresses all types of emergencies in a systematic and coordinated manner. It should identify information systems and protocols necessary to handle all types of disasters. It must be comprehensive, simple, and flexible to be effective. Agency employees must be educated about the plan. Disaster drills need to be carried out to test the plan.