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Society for the Advancement of Disaster Nursing: Exploring the Path to Excellence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2017

Roberta Proffitt Lavin ,
Deborah S. Adelman  and
Tener Goodwin Veenema
Roberta Proffitt Lavin*
Affiliation:
University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Nursing, St. Louis, Missouri
Deborah S. Adelman
Affiliation:
Kaplan University School of Nursing, Chicago, Illinois
Tener Goodwin Veenema
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Department Acute and Chronic Care, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Center for Humanitarian Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Roberta Proffitt Lavin, PhD, FNP-BC, FAAN, Associate Dean for Academic Programs, University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Nursing, One University Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63121-4400 (e-mail: lavinr@usml.edu).
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Abstract

Objective

Major disasters occurring within the Unites States require nursing participation as a component of a successful response. Disaster nursing includes the care of populations affected by disasters, public health emergencies, and mass casualty events, both natural and man-made. A unique knowledge base, abilities, and skills are needed to respond appropriately to health care and human service needs resulting from these events.

Methods

Despite prior efforts to advance disaster nursing as a specialty, none were sustainable and a professional framework for establishing standards and guidelines remains lacking.

Results

Disaster nursing is a complex arena where the intersection of competence, scope of practice, regulation, and clinical guidelines continues to evolve. Professional credibility and our contribution to disaster response lie in our ability to articulate and advance professionalism. Disaster nursing as a specialty practice requires a similar foundational framework to nursing specialties recognized by the American Nurses Association within a model of professional practice in order to ensure population outcomes that are reflective of safe, quality, evidence-based practice.

Conclusions

It is time to define a disaster nursing scope of practice, establish standards for care, identify best practices, and pursue the establishment of an independent professional organization within the field of disaster nursing. This will establish the necessary foundation for optimizing nursing’s contribution to and support of the National Health Security Strategy. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:641–646)

Keywords

disaster nursingcrisisscope of practicenursing educationpolicy-making
Type
Policy Analysis
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 11 , Issue 6 , December 2017 , pp. 641 - 646
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2017 

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