Assessment 3: Disaster Recovery Plan
Develop a disaster recovery plan to lessen health disparities and improve access to community
services after a disaster.
Professional Context
Nurses fulfill a variety of roles, and their diverse responsibilities as health care providers extend
to the community. The decisions we make daily and in times of crisis often involve the balancing
of human rights with medical necessities, equitable access to services, legal and ethical
mandates, and financial constraints. When an unanticipated event occurs, such as an accident or
natural disaster, issues can arise that complicate decisions about meeting the needs of an
individual or group, including understanding and upholding their rights and desires, mediating
conflict, and applying established ethical and legal standards of nursing care. As a nurse, you
must be knowledgeable about disaster preparedness to safeguard those in your care. You are also
accountable for promoting equitable quality of care for community residents.
This assessment provides an opportunity for you to apply the concepts of emergency
preparedness, public health assessment, triage, management, and surveillance after a disaster.
You will also focus on hospital evacuation and extended displacement periods.
Demonstration of Proficiency
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the
following course competencies and assessment criteria:
Competency 1: Analyze health risks and health care needs among distinct populations.
Describe the determinants of health and the cultural, social, and economic barriers that impact
safety, health, and disaster recovery efforts in a community.
Competency 2: Propose health promotion strategies to improve the health of populations.
Present specific, evidence-based strategies to overcome communication barriers and enhance
interprofessional collaboration to improve disaster recovery efforts.
Competency 3: Evaluate health policies, based on their ability to achieve desired outcomes.
Explain how health and governmental policy affect disaster recovery efforts.
Competency 4: Integrate principles of social justice in community health interventions.
Explain how a proposed disaster recovery plan will lessen health disparities and improve access
to community services.
