Chapter 32: Emergency Preparedness & Disaster Nursing

Emergency Preparedness & Disaster Nursing defines disasters as sudden, impactful events—whether natural, human-made, or biological—that strain community resources and necessitate specialized expertise. By examining the legislative pillars of the country, such as the Emergencies Act and the Emergency Management Act, the text clarifies how governmental authority is distributed across local, provincial, and federal levels during national emergencies. Central to this coordination is the Incident Management System (IMS), a standardized framework designed to streamline communication and resource allocation through functional components like command, operations, planning, logistics, and finance. The material reflects on transformative historical public health crises, including the Walkerton water tragedy, the SARS outbreak, and the H1N1 pandemic, to highlight the necessity of robust surveillance, infrastructure renewal, and mass vaccination strategies. Furthermore, it addresses the contemporary opioid crisis through a comprehensive four-pillar strategy focusing on prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and enforcement. A significant portion of the discussion is dedicated to the nursing process, detailing how community health professionals apply assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation across the five stages of disaster management: prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. There is a profound emphasis on health equity and social justice, advocating for the protection of priority groups—such as the elderly, marginalized populations, and Indigenous communities—who often face disproportionate risks and limited social supports during emergencies. Through advocacy and leadership, nurses serve as essential facilitators in community mobilization and the maintenance of public health essential services during large-scale medical surges.