The Importance Of Disaster Management

A disaster is an abrupt, tragic occurrence that extremely disrupts the functioning of a community or society and causes human, material, and economic or environmental losses that go beyond the community’s or society’s capability to manage with its own resources. However, it often caused by nature, or human origins (IFRC, 2015). Disaster happens in several ways such as floods, explosions, wind, and extreme range of environmental temperatures, fire, epidemics, multiple car crashes with many casualties, school shootings, and environmental contamination from chemical agents and/or bioterrorism (Maurer, 2013). The need for awareness of emergency preparedness to the American s and other nations’ community is very important. 2010 Haiti earthquake

Both the individuals, families and the communities as a whole should be educate on how to prepare and have a disaster plan. It is important for every organization to prepare for any disaster occurrence and every staff should have the knowledge the plan. All nurses should endeavor to volunteer in any of the organizations involves in disasters management. Primary prevention falls under the phase one of disaster management which is the phase prior to the disaster. The need for nursing assessment is very important, with the notification systems, and sending out of health personnel and resources to the areas to reduce the level of morbidity and mortality during the disaster event is part of phase one of disaster management. For this reason, nurses can commence education with the community and society as a whole about planning evacuation procedures (Maurer & Smith, 2012). Education is very important in whatever one does in life, which will help to initiate safety when it is needed. For example, education on safe and proper practices such as hands washing, personal hygiene, food hygiene, helping to clean and avoiding contaminated food and water, and to seek for medical help when necessary to prevent communicable diseases is very important. Basic communication practices should also be used to building trust, listening, developing goals, staying

Education on importance of keeping the site of wound clean, raising the limbs which depend on the site of the amputation, and strategies to observe for neurovascular complications should be emphasize. The recovery phase commences and carries on until the public is able to yield to its pre-disaster state or normal routine. This is a long rehabilitation process that encompasses of dealing with grief of the loved ones, deal with change and coping with situation. At this stage, nurses need to utilize resources for counseling and restorative. Nurses can understand the mental health implications associated to depression. Tertiary interventions include addressing long-term problems or consequences of situation. It also includes follow up care and to follow the instructions such as acceptable physical and recovery instruction, and dressing change evaluation. The Red Cross responds global to disaster by assisting with food, water, shelter and first-aid which make basic needs to be necessities for lifesaving in a catastrophic and tragic event like the earthquake in