title: 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.
authors.affiliation: Women and Children/Mental Health Services, Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook, NY, USA. Ronni.Schultz@stonybrook.edu
authors.forename: Ronni
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pouletsos
authors.forename: Adriann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Combs
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004630:Emergencies / Q000451:nursing*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006295:Health Resources / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015274:Interdepartmental Relations; D017283:Neonatal Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D024802:Nurse's Role; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D016730:Program Development; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration; D012944:Social Support; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States; D014489:United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration