Abstract :
State emergency means disaster or catastrophe is mainly used in exchange for “disaster”. Disaster is defined as natural or man-made events that cause physical, social, economical and environmental losses for all or a part of the society and that destroy society’s life by preventing or interrupting human activities. Disasters may threaten people’s well-being as well as their psycho-social well-being and cause severe health problems. Higher incidence of diseases and their devastating outcomes require each country to plan appropriate disaster management strategies. Because disasters result in direct health-related damages like injuries, disabilities, illnesses and death; health care personnel-particularly emergency personnel, mental health personnel and public health workers-are included in disaster management. Nurses are in charge of health management, assistance and provision of care during a disaster in order to minimize health dangers and life-threatening damages. In case of a disaster; individuals expose many physical, emotional and behavioral reactions and these reactions differ in relation with the developmental period of the individuals. Therefore; in the aid interventions after a disaster, nurses are supposed to consider individual and developmental characteristics of the victims, to support their adaptations, to help them re-establish their relations with the family and society and to assist them to use social support mechanisms and sources effectively.
