Nurses play many roles when it comes to different forms of disasters. One of the primary parts in disaster nursing is emergency preparedness. The best way to respond efficiently is having a well thought out plan that is well known among staff and has been practiced. Collaboration is a key element for establishing and facilitating a good disaster paln. During a disaster, a nurse must coordinate communication between the care team and the patient. The nurse must be an advocate for the patient and educate them on how to stay safe after they leave. Provision 2 of the ANA code of ethics says that a nurse’s primary responsibility is to their patient, so it is important that they do everything they can to keep the patient safe. Also stated in the code of ethics is that a nurse owes the same duty to themselves. If a nurse is unable to care for themselves, then it is impossible for them to give the best care to their patients. For example, during this pandemic, nurses are working long hours and overtime shifts sometimes without breaks. If a person is not well rested, their body and mind will not have the capacity to do their best work. So not only is this detrimental to the nurse, but also to the patient. I am a strong advocate for people, and nurses in particular, to take care of themselves to the best of their ability so they can do the same for others. It is only fair that we treat ourselves in the same way we plan to treat others.
