Considerations for emergencies & disasters in the neonatal intensive care unit

Abstract

This article outlines outside principles of emergency and disaster planning for neonatal intensive care units and includes resources available to organizations to support planning and education, and considerations for nurses developing hospital-specific neonatal intensive care unit disaster plans. Hospital disaster preparedness programs and unit-specific policies and procedures are essential in facilitating an effective response to major incidents or disasters, whether they are man-made or natural. All disasters place extraordinary stress on existing resources, systems, and personnel. If nurses in neonatal intensive care units work collaboratively to identify essential services in disasters, the result could be safer care for vulnerable patients.