During the event of a disaster whether it be natural or man- made, I think the role and responsibilities of nurses are to the patients. Nurses are trained to help and treat patients, regardless of the situation. I think it is important that nurses undergo training for disasters so when/if they occur, they know how to precede and manage the situation. While nurses do have to take care of themselves as well, they are choosing to be nurses. Most nurses choose this job because they want to help others when they are at their worst. In the event of a disaster, nurses and other medical professionals have the upper hand because they know how to care for others and treat medical scenarios. In my opinion, the purpose of training and practicing disaster events should not only be teaching them how to handle a disaster situation, but to also expose any problems that arise within the nurse(ethical, emotional responses), and how to handle that problem if it were to occur.
Civilians involved in a disaster have not been trained medically, but also specifically for disasters so they are really relying on medical professionals to help them and care for them. Because of the fact that they go through training for disasters, I think it is important for the responsibility and role of nurses during a disaster event should be patient focused.
Lindsey, I appreciate you calling attention to the importance of comprehensive disaster training for medical professionals; and especially how helpful that can be in allowing staff the space to confront and explore potential conflicts in regard to duty to patient and personal safety. While I realize how we THINK we’d act may not always reflect how we WILL react in the event of an emergency, it is so important to encourage people to think about this aspect of their roles proactively.