Go to the disaster site as soon as possible

Disaster victims tend to open their minds with relative ease to persons who try to help them voluntarily during the acute period after a disaster. As time progresses, however, they come to consider their experience as personal and think that only those who shared the same experience can understand their feelings; it then takes longer to open them up.

Therefore, it is extremely important for nurses to go to the disaster site as soon as possible and establish themselves as members of the community through various activities such as cleaning and water supply, to establish a relationship of trust with victims. To integrate into the community, nurses also should understand the culture and characteristics of the area. Knowing and respecting cherished customs and lifestyles of local people would be a first step toward disaster assistance.