Book excerpt: The effects of a disaster on healthcare can range from conditions that immediately besiege the system with large numbers of patients, to catastrophes that strain its long-term sustainability. Nurses, as frontline health professionals, must have an understanding of the situations they may face before, during and after a disaster and they must develop the skills and strategies to provide effective and immediate care. International Disaster Nursing is the first truly comprehensive and internationally focused resource to address the diversity of issues and myriad scenarios that nurses and other health personnel could encounter during a disaster event. This text defines the many roles of the nurse within a multidisciplinary team, and aids the implementation of the community's disaster plans in a crisis. With an alarming increase in the occurrence of disasters in the last decade, International Disaster Nursing is the hallmark text in the field.