Deck 14: Disaster Management

Question 1

Discuss types of disasters, including natural and human-made.

Answer 1

A disaster is a calamity either natural or human made. It leads to serious negative implications on the working of a community or a society. It has serious economic, environmental and human impacts. It disrupts the ability of a community to use its resources to full extent.
Natural disasters are the natural processes which result in the loss of life, health problems as well as damage to property, injury and harm to animals. It also results in socio-economic disruption and environmental damage.
It includes phenomena like earthquake, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, tornadoes, tsunamis and cyclones. They kill a large number of people and other serious complications. These types of hazards are uncontrollable.
The disasters which are a result of technological processes which are instigated by humans are called as man-made disasters. These hazards include the emergencies by chemical spills or contamination of air or water. It also includes nuclear disasters and radiological emergencies.

Question 2

Evaluate the effects of disasters on people and their communities.

Answer 2

A disaster is a calamity which leads to serious negative implications on the working of a community or a society. It can be either natural or human made. It disrupts the ability of a community to use its resources to full extent. It has serious economic, environmental and human impacts.
A natural hazard is the one which is caused by an uncontrollable natural process. It includes earthquake, hurricane, cyclone, flood, tornado and many more. A human-made disaster is an emergency or a hazard which is caused by some human activity. It includes chemical spills, radiological or nuclear hazards, cyber-attacks and many more.
A disaster, either man-made or has serious implications on the people of the community in which it has occurred. It includes physical and psychological implications. The physical implications may include death and injury of the people of the community.
It may also include injury or death to the animals and plants, destruction of the property, sanitary issues and disease outbreaks. The psychological impact on the people who face the disaster can also be very serious. It can also lead to emotional shock in some cases.

Question 3

Describe the disaster management phases of prevent, preparedness, response, and recovery and explain the nurse's role in each phase.

Answer 3

A disaster is a calamity either natural or human made. It leads to serious negative implications on the working of a community or a society. It disrupts the ability of a community to use its resources to full extent. It results in disease outbreaks as well.
The process of disaster management includes four basic steps. They are prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. Nurses have a prominent role in the management of disasters. Prevention or mitigation deals with the activities which lead to complete awareness amongst the people of a community regarding the disasters.
The nurses provide education and spread awareness, organize and participate in educating the people of the community. A nurse can be involved in the preparedness for a disaster by collecting the important medical equipment, medicines and some money and keeping them accessible in the time of disaster.
Primary response to a disaster is to manage the sanitation of the community. This leads to widespread diseases and injuries. A nurse should be ready to provide the primary response to all the individuals in the community. The long-term recovery includes the physical and psychological treatment of the affected individuals by providing appropriate care.

Question 4

Describe the steps to take to initiate and maintain a disaster clinic.

Question 5

Identify how community groups and other organizations such as the American Red Cross can work together to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.