When I ask nurses whether they’re prepared to respond to a disaster, I often hear the same response: “I’m not a disaster nurse.”
But think about what emergency nurses do every day.
We triage patients, make decisions with incomplete information, manage competing priorities, communicate under pressure, and adapt when resources aren’t immediately available.
Sound familiar?
These are many of the same skills required during disasters and public health emergencies.
But there’s an important distinction: Being an emergency nurse doesn’t automatically mean you’re prepared for every disaster.
I’ve seen highly experienced clinicians struggle when familiar systems, equipment, and resources are suddenly unavailable. I’ve also watched nurses with limited disaster experience demonstrate remarkable adaptability and critical thinking.
Disaster readiness isn’t simply about knowing how to perform a clinical procedure. It’s about understanding what changes when the environment changes.
What happens when the power goes out? When communications fail? When supplies run out? When patients arrive faster than they can be assessed? When the hospital itself becomes unsafe?
And perhaps most importantly, what happens when the usual way of doing things is no longer possible?
These aren’t hypothetical concerns. They’re situations nurses around the world have faced and continue to face.
We need to move beyond treating disaster education as an annual online module or an occasional drill.
Disaster preparedness should be integrated into everyday nursing education and practice, including communication, resource management, decision-making, and the ability to work outside familiar conditions.
Emergency nurses already have an important foundation. Our responsibility is to build on it.
You don’t have to deploy to a disaster zone to become a more disaster-ready nurse. You can start preparing in your own emergency department.
This week, ask yourself: If your emergency department lost power, communications, or access to critical supplies tomorrow, how prepared would you really be?
Adventures with Nurse Jamla® | Emergency Nurses Week 2026