What is disaster readiness and what is a nurse's role in an emergency management plan?

• A. Disaster readiness is rare; nurses do not participate in plans.
• B. Disaster readiness is about creating shelters in communities only.
• C. Preparedness for disasters; roles include triage, surge management, infection control, communication, and collaboration with multidisciplinary teams.
• D. Disaster readiness is only about stockpiling supplies.

Answer: (C)

Disaster readiness means being prepared for disasters before they happen—planning, training, and coordinating resources and actions so care is efficient, safe, and effective during emergencies. A nurse’s role in an emergency management plan spans multiple critical functions: triage to prioritize patient care when demand exceeds supply; surge management to handle a sudden influx of patients; infection prevention and control to stop the spread of disease or contamination; clear, timely communication with patients, families, and other responders; and collaboration with a multidisciplinary team to implement the plan within the incident command structure and ensure coordinated action across all parts of the system. This reflects the active, ongoing involvement of nurses in planning, drills, and real-time response to protect public health.

The other options misstate the scope or the nurse’s involvement. Readiness isn’t rare or limited to nurse participation, and it isn’t only about creating shelters or stockpiling supplies—the role is broad, integrating clinical care with coordination, communication, and system-wide coordination during emergencies.