A nurse manager on an interprofessional team is creating a disaster plan. The nurse should include in the plan that which of the following actions is the responsibility of the unit nurse during a disaster?

Rationale: A. Decide which clients should be transported for a higher level of care: Determining transport priorities is usually the responsibility of the incident command or emergency response team, not individual unit nurses. Unit nurses provide patient assessments and recommendations but do not independently make these critical decisions. B. Act as a spokesperson to provide information to the media: Communication with the media is handled by designated hospital public relations or administration personnel to ensure consistent and accurate information. Unit nurses are not responsible for media interactions during a disaster. C. Recommend to the provider a list of clients for early discharge: Unit nurses are familiar with clients’ conditions, stability, and care needs, making them well-suited to recommend which clients can be safely discharged early. This helps prioritize resources and bed availability during a disaster while maintaining patient safety. D. Determine the need for additional providers: Assessing staffing needs is the responsibility of the nurse manager or disaster coordinator. Unit nurses provide information about patient care demands but do not make staffing deployment decisions during an emergency.