Dyson College of Arts and Sciences
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courses? Is the content delivered from a team or interdisciplinary perspective, considering the cues from the Institute of Medicine report (2003) calling for collective endeavors? Is the content delivered as a simulation in which action stimulates critical thinking? In an attempt to address the need for preparedness, the NEPEC (2003) drew up the Educational Competencies for Registered Nurses Responding to Mass Casualty Incidents, in the belief that all nurses must have a minimum level of knowledge and skills to respond to a disaster event (NEPEC, n.d.). The presence of volunteers who do not possess specialized skill and training may create challenges during a disaster response. Nurses who are committed to contributing to disaster preparedness will best serve the public by listing on registries, becoming certified in disaster management, and achieving competencies based in best practice (Weiner, 2006). Conclusion Nursing is a resilient profession in many ways. This resiliency is reflected in the growing numbers of entrants to nursing, and is also reflected in nursing practice, most importantly in our ability to practice with individuals across the lifespan, in all areas of specialization, and within a variety of environmental contexts. Nurses have historically been active during disasters, big and small, in caring for the public. It is not uncommon to find nurses steadfastly going to where they are needed, even if that means climbing over rooftops, riding city buses looking for homeless patients who live on the street or in abandoned cars, or hitching a ride in a city sanitation truck during snowstorms to get to a patient. Over time, nurses have demonstrated an ability to locate those in most need and render care wherever they are. The care that nurses offer may be invisible to those on the outside looking in, but that care is no less significant even if it is under the radar. Not all nurses claim to be public health nurses, but if there is a disaster, whether it is humanmade or natural, all nurses are public health nurses. As such, nursing plays a vital part in the collaborative efforts required throughout the disaster management cycle. References American Nurses Association. (2001). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. Washington D. C.: American Nurses Association. Association of Schools of Public Health. (n.d.). What is public health. http://www. whatispublichealth.org Barry, J. M. (2004). The great influenza: The epic story of the deadliest plague in history. New York: Penguin Book. D'Antonio & Whelan. (2004). Moments when time stood still: Nursing in disaster. American Journal Nursing, 104(11), 66-72. Department of Homeland Security [FEMA]. (2011). What we do. Retrieved from http:// www.fema.gov/about/what.shtm Dimitruk, A. A. (2005). Three keys to supply chain management in times of disaster. Healthcare Purchasing News. Institute of Medicine [IOM]. (1988). The future of public health. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Institute of Medicine [IOM]. (2003). The future of public health. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. 51