When Disaster Happens: Emergency Preparedness for Nurse Practitioners

Catastrophic events, including both natural and man-made disasters, usually create surge capacity needs for health care systems; subsequently, the ability to meet such capacity requires thoughtful preparation. While it is true that disastrous emergencies may not be prevented or controlled, it is vital for citizens to be prepared at multiple levels, including individuals, families, health care employees, and community organizations at-large, in order to mount a successful response to the event. Nurse practitioners, by virtue of their advanced biopsychosocial education, as well as their inherent role of community-based practice and collaboration, are uniquely situated to directly contribute toward these efforts.