When disaster strikes, nurses should know how to respond in an uncontrolled environment, outside of a hospital. Being prepared is a necessary step. Disaster training should be considered while nursing students attend nursing college in Utah. 

In the past two months, there have been five mass casualty disasters in the United States. Two bombs were detonated at the Boston Marathon, a fertilizer plant explosion rocked West, Texas, and on May 15 and 19, Tornadoes tore apart two Midwest communities. Hospitals do their best to prepare for these kinds of disasters, but there is only so much they can do. 

Nurses with trauma or military background will be bale to handle the requirements of a major disaster, but those without that kind of nursing background should prepare themselves to help. 

There are certain actions that can be taken to prevent the loss of life in event of a disaster. Nursing students should have basic first aid training as well as their other nursing courses. Disaster nursing competencies courses are usually included in nursing college in Utah.  

To be prepared for such emergency situations, nurses should keep an emergency bag with them or in their car at all times. This bag should include gloves, a CPR mask, water, extra shoes and clothing, as well as materials to make a tourniquet. Utah nursing colleges also recommend keeping a stethoscope and blood pressure cuff in the emergency bag as well.

Disasters are bound to happen. While nurses can't stop a disaster from happening, they can be prepared for them. Nurses must be prepared to professionally respond to the call for nurses when disasters strike. 

They must also prepare personally for the ordeal that is to come. Nurses should have an emergency plan in place for communication with family, and have care for their children or dependents while they are helping others.

Registered nurses can volunteer to be first responders in case of a natural or manmade disaster, but the time to register to volunteer is before the disaster strikes, not after it has happened. There are different responder organizations to choose from. Others interested in becoming a disaster responder can attend a Utah nursing college to prepare themselves for helping in a crisis situation.

Whether natural or manmade, a disaster could happen at any time. As a nurse, it is important to be fully prepared to help people that can't help themselves. There are different kinds of responder levels so nurses should consider where they would do best.