There exists a constant threat of disaster. Whether the disaster is man made, such as war or terrorism, or from nature, nursing has always been at the forefront. In the past, nurses were on the battlefield dressing the soldier s wounds and giving emotional support to those whose time was at hand. Additional information is available at Preventive Medicine Research Institute. Formally, the occupation of nursing began with Florence Nightingale during the Crimean war. Even prior to that time there were those caring individuals who were first responders to disaster situations.

Now more than ever, there is a need for nurses to become educated in the field of disaster nursing. The destruction unleashed by Hurricane Katrina tested the immediate response and mobilization of many doctors and nurses, as well as the merit of government response, to which in the final analysis the general consensus was one of we could have done better. In spite of the many critics that abounded after the destruction, there stood those individuals who shined so brightly with their selflessness and compassion. These are nurses and doctors working around the clock in unsanitary conditions not unlike to battlefield hundreds of years ago. One has to ask, How is this possible in today s world, with all of the state of the art technology that abounds in medicine and communications.

And yet, there it was in black and white, people were dying from lack of medical supplies Maillot LYON and unsanitary conditions. The brave and caring souls who stood by and could only hold a hand, give a satellitare touch perhaps, and say some kind word to someone who was taking their few last breaths were the ones that made the difference. Here was a case of disaster nursing like no other. These are men and women who stayed behind to care for the sick and dying, not knowing when or if any supplies would arrive.