Nurses play a vital role during and before a disaster. It is important for nurses as well as the community to be prepared for any disaster that may come. Nurses can educate the community about disaster preparedness and what people can do to prevent a disaster from happening but also what to do and where to go if a disaster should happen. Nurses can provide immunizations against diseases that may spread throughout a community in order to prevent pandemics such as COVID-19. Nurses are the most trusted profession, so it is also vital that they educate and prepare their patients so if disaster were to strike, they are protected and know exactly what to do. Nurses also play a role in allowing efficient communication between the healthcare team, paramedics, the patient and their family about the patient’s status during a disaster. Nurses are essential to be there for and care for their patients at their most vulnerable moments, but also to prepare their patients for disasters that could happen in the future.

Just as in an airplane, the flight attendants tell you that if disaster struck and the plane started to go down, the air masks that drop down from the ceiling need to be put on yourself first before children or any non-able body. This is because you cannot care for someone if you don’t care for yourself first. Even if there is a natural or man-made disaster, this rule of thumb should not change. When going into a disaster, if the scene is not safe for the nurse to rescue a patient, the nurse should not attempt to care for them because it could turn into a 2-person rescue. The nurse’s primary responsibility is to the patient; however, the nurse cannot provide the best care for their patient if they are not properly caring for themselves.