Nurses Are Vital to Your Emergency Preparedness Plan

• The increased frequency of emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and catastrophic climate related disasters, demonstrates the importance of nurses being involved in a local, state, or even federal emergency preparedness plan. 
• Nurses should be considered during both planning and training. 
• Emergency preparedness is a collaborative approach, yet nurses are the essential piece in much of the preparation, management of the critical moments during the emergency, and recovery phase for the community and themselves. 

As we experienced with COVID-19, nurses are often the key factor in emergency response efforts.  

Disasters and health emergencies are both unexpected events that can significantly impact healthcare organizations and the community. While disasters typically refer to natural or man-made events, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, or terrorist attacks, health emergencies are usually related to outbreaks of infectious diseases or other public health crises.  

Emergency preparedness encompasses a broad focus of ongoing preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. The increased frequency of emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic and catastrophic climate-related disasters demonstrates the importance of nurses being equipped with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to respond to emergent events.  

Phases of the Emergency Preparedness Plan 

Nurses play a key role in emergency preparedness through planning and training. They’re crucial during an event response and should be supported through the recovery phase.  

Preparedness, response, and recovery are three key phases in the cycle of emergency management. As stated by the National Library for Medicine, “Nurses, working with physicians and other members of the healthcare team, play a central role in response. Before, during, and after disasters, nurses provide education, community engagement, health promotion and implement interventions to safeguard the public health. They provide first aid, advanced clinical care, and lifesaving medications; assess and triage victims; allocate scarce resources; and monitor ongoing physical and mental health needs.”  

As seen with COVID-19, responsibilities for nurses shifted rapidly to accommodate patient surges and the sudden demand for healthcare services. Nurses were required to take on multiple new roles, provide surveillance and detection of infectious disease spread, educate patients and the community, and provide emotional support for patients, families, and fellow staff members.  

It is vitally important for nurses to understand their role in emergency preparedness planning and training before an event, be ready for their complex role during the event and understand the importance of completing a recovery phase after an event. 

Before: Preparedness Planning and Training

Nurses should be on the multidisciplinary team that develops organizational and operational emergency response plans. Their involvement will help with awareness and proper utilization. These teams often include nursing, leadership, physicians, facilities, emergency management, security, and ancillary services.  

Nurses should have knowledge of available plans, where they are stored, and when and how to use them. Surge plans, weather-related disasters, evacuations, shelter-in-place, and how to respond to various active threats are a few examples of emergency preparedness plans healthcare organizations have. 

Frequent and thorough simulation-based training allows multidisciplinary teams to walk through response plans, find gaps, overcome challenges, and simulate the critical thinking required in emergencies. Further opportunities for nurses to prepare for disaster events include disaster relief trainings through The Federal Emergency Response Agency (FEMA) and the American Red Cross.  

During: Complex Coordination and Critical Communication

Nurses are the frontline response during critical events, responsible for patient triage, prioritizing patient’s needs, and making critical decisions with limited time and resources. Nurses are the communication link between physicians, public emergency first responders, healthcare leadership, and ancillary roles. They keep tabs on resources such as supplies, available beds, and availability of staff.  

During disaster events, nurses often help with public health awareness, education, and initiatives. Examples include nurses administering COVID-19 vaccines and sharing infectious disease prevention education with patients at popup clinics and in the community.  

After: Recovery  

Health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have lasting effects on nursing staff. The recovery phase is the act of bringing the organization, patients, and community back to a normal state after disaster.  

Extreme events often cause intense stress, such as exposure to human suffering, risk for personal harm, life-or-death decision making, and working with limited resources. 

Nurses should prioritize their emotional and physical wellness, seek emotional support through professional counseling, be provided (and use) employee-assistance programs, debrief with colleagues, and connect with loved ones.  

The recovery phase also requires a debrief with the multidisciplinary team and healthcare administrators about lessons learned that can strengthen preparedness plans. Recovery is important in healing the individual nurse, helps with retention and burnout prevention, and provides time for understand the impact before another event. 

The Bottom Line

Nurses are often frontline responders during a disaster or emergent event. Nurses should feel competent in their ability to respond through their involvement in risk assessments, preparedness plans, and hands-on training.  

Emergency preparedness is a collaborative approach, but nurses are an essential piece in much of the preparation, management, and recovery for the community and themselves. Being successful during these phases help protect and provide critical resources, save lives, reduce trauma, and manage medical emergencies effectively. It is vital for healthcare workers to remain aware of and educated about emergency preparedness plans to produce best outcomes and prevent adverse long-term effects. 

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