Be Prepared: Personal and Professional Preparedness
An essential premise of a successful response is to be prepared ahead of time. All registered nurses must have a personal and professional plan in place for times of disaster. Preplanning is necessary for preparing for a disaster at home, as well as responding to a disaster within one’s own region or in another part of the country.
A personal plan addresses issues related to the family. While there is little consensus regarding the period of time for which an individual or family needs to have supplies on hand, whether it be for three days or three weeks, it is important to have items such as food, medicine, water, and batteries on hand to meet the needs of each member of the family. In addition, it is important that there be a communication plan should a disaster occur while family members are separated.
A professional plan addresses issues related to employment. It is especially important that health care providers reach agreement with an employer regarding how volunteering decisions will be made before a disaster occurs.