Book excerpt: Learn how to plan for and respond to disasters! Preparing Nurses for Disaster Management: A Global Perspective helps you build the skills you need to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergency situations efficiently and effectively. It includes the personal stories of nurses who have experienced disasters, describing the specific incident, the response, what worked or didn't work, and the lessons learned. Case studies show how to apply international response guidelines in providing care for those in need. Written by Joanne Langan, an internationally known expert in disaster preparedness, this reference will help you feel more confident in handling the aftermath of both natural and man-made disasters. Coverage of disaster management includes the stages of disaster response, nursing roles, and personal case studies of actual disasters and public health emergencies around the world, e.g., natural disasters, global earthquakes, radiation disasters, chemical disasters, biologic or infectious disease outbreaks, and man-made disasters. Actual Disasters unit provides a description of each event, preparedness, response, recovery, personal preparedness equipment, legal and ethical issues, special considerations, and lessons learned. Tabletop exercises and drills allow organizations and institutions to assess their readiness, determine community vulnerabilities, and prepare appropriate responses to disaster events such as an active shooter, cyberattacks, and the grid/power going down. Case studies help you learn to apply concepts to practice. User-friendly content includes definitions of key terms and the role expectations for different nurse specialties and levels. Discussions of International Council of Nurses' Core Competencies in Disaster Nursing use this benchmark as an outline for effective nursing practice before, during, and after disasters. Reviews of psychiatric/mental health issues discuss interventions to improve mental health following disasters. Expert contributors share perspectives and experience from a number of different countries.