Question

Select one step in the disaster process and discuss a specific role as the Community

Health Nurse while assigned to this step.

Answer 1

Disater process include 4 steps:

Mitigration

Preparedness

Response

Recovery

Mitigration is the phase or step were we are identifying the tregger factors for a disaster. It include the assessment of the building structures for any malconstructions, lifestyle patterns of people, environment conditions, climate change etc.

In preparedness step we are planning action plans and conduct drills. Through this we are educating the people to how to act at the time of a disaster.

The above 2 phases are occur prior to a disaster.

Response phase include the immediate actions taken by the health care team immediately after the disaster. A community health nurse had a specific role in response phase. The team work on the principle of triage. Triage is a care providing plan which help the nurses and other healthcare professionals to classify the patients according to their needs of care. Triage help to provide necessary care to victims at proper time and in proper manner. And also nurse should provide psychological support to the victims.

The role of the nurse is to provide necessary care to the victims and through proper care reduce the number of causalities and injuries. The care should be provided on the basis of triage. Triage include diffrent color codes red indicate immediate care. So a nurse should provide priority to the patient came under red code.

Through the appropriate actions of a nurse we can reduce the number of handicapped and death due to disaster.

Recovery phase include the rehabilitation of victims to normal life.