When Disaster Strikes

The Ebola scare, the Joplin tornado, the Boston Bombing, and Hurricane Sandy showed that nurses are exemplary leaders, innovators and team members in times of crises.

Yet such disasters also highlighted gaps, lack of training and resource constraints that limit nurses’ ability to safeguard the nation’s health during extraordinary events.

Through the lens of four disasters, this brief looks at the roles nurses play in the disaster management cycle and highlights lessons learned for future crises.

The Issue
Experts agree we can expect more natural disasters, terrorist events and novel infectious diseases in our lifetimes. Nurses are ready, willing and well positioned to respond to these events, yet often they feel underprepared or lack the authority or resources to handle such crises. Nurses receive minimal disaster-focused instruction as part of their formal education, and employers sometimes fail to put crisis policies in place or to engage staff in regular disaster drills. Federal funding for preparation is inconsistent from year to year, while state and local cutbacks threaten the public health workforce.