Managing a disaster scene and multiple casualties before help arrives.

As the largest group of health care professionals in the United States and a component of almost every community, nurses may be called upon to initiate the emergency response and provide initial planning for health care until local, national, or federal assistance arrives. This article will assist nurses in anticipating, preparing for, and responding to multi-casualty, high-impact events. It concludes with a discussion of triage of multi-casualties in the face of scarce resources. It includes resources for more in-depth information on prevention, preparedness and planning, and the health system's response.