OVERVIEW OF DISASTER NURSING AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS
An EMERGENCY is a sudden, urgent,
unexpected event requiring immediate
action, usually requiring help. Sufficient
RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE to deal with
it.
A DISASTER is a calamitous event,
especially one occurring suddenly and
causing great loss of life, damage, or
hardship. Sufficient RESOURCES ARE NOT
AVAILABLE or SCARCE.
BASED ON RA 10121
EMERGENCY- Unforeseen or sudden occurrence, especially
danger, demanding immediate action (RA 10121).
DISASTER- A serious disruption of the
functioning of a community or a society
involving widespread human, material,
economic or environmental losses and
impacts, which exceeds the ability of the
affected community or society to cope using
its own resources.
(RA 10121).
How is a disaster the same
as or different from an
emergency?
a. A disaster is personal, whereas an
emergency is community-wide.
b. An emergency is personal, whereas
a disaster is community-wide.
c. Both emergencies and disasters
are devastating.
d. Both emergencies and disasters
are failures resulting in extensive
insurance claims.
HAZARDS-A dangerous phenomenon, substance, human activity or condition that may
cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihood
and services, social and economic disruption or environmental damage (RA 10121)
RISK-This is defined as the combination of the PROBABILITY of an event
and its negative consequences (RA 10121).
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF DISASTER NURSING
Florence Nightingale, the pioneer of modern nursing,
functioned as a disaster nurse during the Crimean War.
Taking 38 other women with her to Turkey, she assumed
the management responsibilities of the barracks
hospital. “The Lady With the Lamp”
Clara Barton, another pioneering nurse, worked
diligently during the Civil War providing care to soldiers
and then founded the American Red Cross in 1881.
Barton had a keen understanding of the needs of the
soldiers and what she could do to help. She came to be
known as “The angel of the battlefield.”
BASIC PRINCIPLES IN PLANNING FOR DISASTER
NURSING
N- ursing plans must be integrated & coordinated
U- pdated physical and psychological preparedness
R- esponsible for organizing, teaching &
supervision
S- timulate community participation
E- xercise competence
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF NURSING CARE FOR DISASTER VICTIMS
ADAPTATION OF NURSING SKILLS TO SITUATION
CONTINUOUS AWARENESS OF THE PATIENT’S CONDITION
TEACH AUXILIARY AWARENESS
SELECTION OF ESSENTIAL NURSING CARE
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A DISASTER NURSE
D issemination on information on environmental
health hazard
I nterpret health laws and regulation
S ave oneself
A ccept directions and take orders
S erve the best for the most
T each the meaning of warning signals
E xercise leadership
R efer to appropriate agencies
WHEN DISASTER STRIKES…..
1
6
TAKE TIME TO TAKE A PEEK AT THE
FOUR TYPES OF READINESS
P = PHYSICAL READINESS
E = EMOTIONAL READINESS
E = EXPERIENTIAL READINESS
K = KNOWLEDGE READINESS
• Destruction/ damage of property
• Death or loss of life
• Disruption of daily living/displacement of people
• Distress/ people are helpless
• Deficit resources- needs are higher than the
available resources
FACTORS AFFECTING DISASTERS
1. POVERTY
2. ENVIRONMENTAL DETERIORATION
3. POPULATION EXPLOSION
4. RAPID URBANIZATION
5. LACK OF VIGILANCE AND
INFORMATION
6. UNSECURED SHELTER
7. Others( climate change, global
warming)
categories of disaster
A.NATURAL
B.MAN-MADE/
HUMAN GENERATED/
ANTHROPOGENIC
C.COMBINATION OR
SYNERGISTIC DISASTERS
NATURAL DISASTER
• Result of a n ecological disruption or threat
that exceeds the adjustment capacity of the
affected community (WHO, 1 9 7 9 )
1. GEOPHYSICAL: originates from the solid crust of the
Earth
2. HYDROLOGICAL: associated with the occurrence,
movement, and distribution of fresh and saltwater over or
beneath the Earth’s surface.
3. METEOROLOGICAL: short-lived, micro- to meso-scale
extreme weather and atmospheric conditions that last from
minutes to days.
NATURAL DISASTER
• Result of a n ecological disruption or threat
that exceeds the adjustment capacity of the
affected community (WHO, 1 9 7 9 )
4. CLIMATOLOGICAL: long-lived, meso- to macro-scale atmospheric
processes ranging from intra-seasonal to multi-decadal climate variability.
5. BIOLOGICAL: A hazard originating from a biological substance, e.g.,
venom, mold, or a vector carrying disease-causing organisms, exposure to
which poses a threat to other living beings or humans.
6. EXTRATERRESTRIAL: A hazard originating outside the Earth’s
atmosphere that may be caused by residues of asteroids, meteorites,
comets, or human space debris, when these enter Earth’s atmosphere, or
the impact caused by these objects on Earth’s surface.
MAN-MADE
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
• Principal direct causes are identifiable deliberate
• human actions or otherwise (Noji, 1996)
• Anthropogenic disasters
Biological and Biochemical Terrorism
Chemical Spills
Radiologic (Nuclear Spills)
Fires
Explosions
Transportation Accidents
Armed Conflicts
Acts of War
Three Broad Categories of Man-made
Disasters
1. Complex Emergencies – Suffering and devastation
caused by war, civil strife and other political conflicts
2. Technologic Disasters – Direct and adverse effect of
major industrial accidents, unplanned release of
nuclear energy, fires or explosions from hazardous
materials
3. Disasters that Occur in Human Settlements – Results
of combination of forces like Famine political unrest
COMBINATION
OR SYNERGISTIC
• Also known as NA-TECH
(natural and technological disasters)
• A natural and human-generated disaster may
trigger a secondary disaster
RISK PROFILE
OF THE
PHILIPPINES
● C o m p o s e d of more than 7,640
islands.*
Philippines
● Philippines geographical and physical
characteristic expose the country to
hazards and disasters
In terms of disaster risk, Philippines
ranked third among all of the countries
with the highest risks worldwide
according to the World Risk Report
2018, with index value of 25.14%
(World Economic Forum, 2018).
*Wikipedia
T H R E AT S IN THE P H ILIP P IN E S