Prevention (Mitigation)

In order to prevent, treat, or control a disease, public health nurses will

be involved in planning and engaging in mass prophylactic and
immunization programs. The nurse should be aware of high-risk targets
and current vulnerabilities, as well as what can be done to eliminate or
minimize them by assessing the area for vulnerable people in terms of
access and functional needs in the event of a disaster. They also
execute a hazard vulnerability assessment to identify the risks and
hazards that are most threatening.

Preparedness
Nurses prepare a disaster care plan to handle people's access and
functional needs during disasters such as emergency communication
plan. To handle needs including sheltering in place, evacuation, and
mass casualty surge capacity, it is needed to cooperate with
government and private organizations. Nurses also conduct public
education and awareness, training, drills, and exercises relating to the
care of individuals, families, and communities in the event of a disaster.

Response
In this phase, nurses activate the disaster plan. Nurses use population-
based triage involving surveillance to assess the needed response and
classify the vulnerable population into susceptible, exposed, infected,
removed, and vaccinated groups for quick and life-saving treatment.
Aside from triage activation, search, rescue and first aid, feeding and
sheltering victims, and conducting an ongoing rapid needs assessment
are also implemented during this phase.

Recovery
In terms of recovery, nurses participate in restoring the normal pre-
disaster routine. Nurses work with the community to plan for long-term
needs, including psycho-social, economic, and legal needs. They also
monitor mental health status of the survivors, provide psychological
support to the injured, manage shelters, transfer victims, rehabilitation,
and advocate for the continued care needs of those with injuries,
disabilities, and paying particular attention to more vulnerable groups.

https://nursing.jnj.com/nursing-news-events/nurses-on-the-frontlines-
of-disaster-response
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.695143/full
https://www.novia.fi/novialia/bloggar/studerandebloggen/nursing-in-
times-of-disaster
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7756389/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72A3OkzfNSw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K62jlttbsK4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj0NY27xP-Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giLHcAP3B9M