Question

You have been asked to set up a disaster preparation program for your town or school or organization. Describe how you would set up a disaster preparation program through the stages of preparation (preparedness, response and recovery) and the nurse’s role in each phase). Discuss how disaster management is related to Healthy People 2020. Specifically consider areas that relate to unintentional injury, environmental health, and food and/or drug safety.

Answer 1

Disaster preparedness refers to the measures taken to prepare for and reduce the effects of disaster.It main aim is to predict and where possible , prevent disaster , mitigate their impact on vulnerable population and respect effectively to cope with their consequences so that normalcy can be established as quickly as possible.

There are four phases of disaster management :-

1)Mitigation 2)Preparedness 3)Response 4)Recovery

1)Mitigation:- Its main aim to minimize the effects of disaster by buidbuil codes and zoning,public education and vulnerable analysis.

2)Preparedness :- In this phase , planning is done how to respond by forming preparedness plans, emergency exercises/ training and warning system.It also focuses on reservation of food, equipment, water ,medicines that are maintained.

3) Response :--In this phase, immediate assistance is provided to maintain life,improve health and support the morale of the affected population. The main focus of this phase is meeting the basic needs of the people such as assisting refugees with transport, temporary shelter and food, to establish camp for temporary settlement.

4)Recovery:- During this phase, the affected community is capable of undertaking a growing number of activities aimed at restoring their lives and infrastructure that supports them.There will be many opportunities for affected community during the recovery period to enhance prevention and increase preparedness thus reducing vulnerability.Recovery activities continue till all systems return to normal.Example,:- Medical care can be provided by trained doctors and nurses of the affected people for better health and prevention from other disease conditions.

The main aim of Healthy People 2020 is to attain high quality ,longer lives free of preventable disease , disability, injury and premature death,achieve health equity, eliminate disparities and improve the health of all ; create social and physical environment that premature good health for all and promote quality of life ,healthy development and healthy behavior across all life stages.

The main motto of both distaster management and healthy people 2020 mentioned is same as described above.