Preparing next generation of nurses to care for disaster affected population: A call to action in nursing curriculum.

• Nurses are often the first responders during times of disasters who play a vital role in preserving life and sustaining all aspects of the health of the disaster-affected community. • This paper underscores the role of nursing curricula and evidence-based teaching learning strategies that can promote the next generation of nurses' preparedness for disaster nursing. Those strategies include classroom-based theory and didactic courses/course content on disaster nursing, integration of interprofessional education in disaster nursing curriculum, clinical experience, simulation and mock disaster training, and involvement of nursing students in research specific to disaster. • The inclusion of disaster management in the nursing curriculum is vital to prepare nurses who are competent, skillful and knowledgeable in providing quality care to disaster-affected communities. Trained nurses with adequate disaster education can serve as a healthcare asset during disasters and are better prepared to deliver healthcare services that are timely, need-based, culturally sensitive, and cost-effective. Disasters can occur anywhere and without warning, requiring proactive action to reduce errors and save lives. Nurses are often the first responders during times of disasters who play a vital role in preserving life and sustaining all aspects of the health of the disaster-affected community. The inclusion of disaster education in the nursing curriculum is vital to prepare nurses who are competent, skillful and knowledgeable in providing quality care to disaster-affected communities. This paper underscores the role of the nursing curriculum and evidence-based teaching learning strategies in preparing the next generation of nurses in providing quality care to the vulnerable population affected by the disaster. Moreover, the paper presents the role of theory and didactic course/course content on disaster nursing, integration of interprofessional education in disaster nursing curriculum, clinical experience, simulation and mock disaster training, and participation in research specific to disaster nursing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]