Public health officials play an important role in disaster planning and emergency

preparedness. Specifically, nurses are involved in disaster planning and preparedness

together with response and recovery. Nurses can actively engage in and lead on disaster
risk reduction and disaster risk management policy by carrying out a plan that include
creating awareness through education and disaster prevention measures. Such
measures include activities that minimize or eliminate hazards, risk reduction,
immunization programs, and public education together with others. However, the focus
should also be on the effects that a disaster may have on the hospital set-up. The role of
nurses is to provide immediate and effective medical care to the maximum number of the
affected individuals in a bid to reduce mortality and morbidity. Additionally, the nursing
objectives here include preparing staff members together with institutional resources for
an effective response in case a disaster occurs. Similarly, nurses have to create
community awareness by educating people on the sequential steps that they can take at
individual and organizational levels. Nurses have to be prepared for capacity building and
work with multidisciplinary teams. Finally, nurses have to know about policies and
protocols that should be followed when responding to a disaster. The roles of nurses
include determining the size of the event, establishing health needs, and setting priorities.
After identifying the actual public health needs, nurses should then determine the
resources that are required for an effective response. Additionally, nurses should be in a
position to work with other response teams, including government and non-governmental
agencies, to minimize the effects of the occurrence. Ultimately, nurses should maintain a
merged chain of command and ensure proper communication to avoid confusion and
repetition of tasks. In summary, nurses are involved in immediate post-disaster
intervention measures, including treatment and providing care based on the present
needs. Furthermore, they establish outreach programs as a way of supporting the
affected communities. One of the best ways to manage disasters is to come up with
triage as it helps to assign priorities in cases where resources are limited.