Disaster Nursing - 2026 Emergency Response: Practice Test 1
(Units 1-7) - Questions with Correct Answers
100 questions
1. Disaster drills improve readiness by:
A. Wasting time
B. Testing plans, identifying gaps and building staff familiarity
C. Replacing plans
D. Increasing confusion
Correct Answer: B. Testing plans, identifying gaps and building staff familiarity
Rationale: Exercises reveal weaknesses before real events. After-action reviews drive
improvement.
2. Community vulnerability assessments help planners:
A. Ignore risk
B. Identify populations and areas at greatest risk to target preparedness
C. Reduce resources
D. Avoid planning
Correct Answer: B. Identify populations and areas at greatest risk to target preparedness
Rationale: Social vulnerability indices map risk. Resources can be prioritized.
3. A hazard vulnerability analysis (HVA) helps organizations:
A. Avoid planning
B. Calculate salaries
C. Identify and prioritize hazards based on probability and impact
D. Plan meals
Correct Answer: C. Identify and prioritize hazards based on probability and impact
Rationale: HVAs guide preparedness priorities. They are updated regularly.
,4. A disaster declaration at the state or federal level:
A. Enables access to additional resources and assistance
B. Has no effect
C. Closes all hospitals
D. Ends response efforts
Correct Answer: A. Enables access to additional resources and assistance
Rationale: Declarations trigger funding and legal flexibilities. The Stafford Act governs federal
declarations.
5. The recommended emergency water supply is about:
A. 1 cup per person per day
B. 10 gallons per person per hour
C. 1 gallon (about 3.8 L) per person per day
D. No stored water
Correct Answer: C. 1 gallon (about 3.8 L) per person per day
Rationale: This covers drinking and sanitation. Extra is needed in hot climates.
6. Resilience is:
A. Avoiding all disasters
B. The ability of individuals, communities and systems to absorb, adapt to and recover from
adversity
C. Rigid resistance to change
D. Lack of preparation
Correct Answer: B. The ability of individuals, communities and systems to absorb, adapt to
and recover from adversity
Rationale: Resilience can be strengthened through preparedness and social connections. It is a
key goal of disaster policy.
,7. Interdependence between health care facilities during disasters means that:
A. Coordination through coalitions and mutual aid improves regional response
B. Hospitals should act alone
C. Competition is best
D. Sharing is prohibited
Correct Answer: A. Coordination through coalitions and mutual aid improves regional
response
Rationale: Load balancing prevents single facilities from being overwhelmed. Coalitions
coordinate.
8. Rapid needs assessment after a disaster, such as CASPER, is used to:
A. Count hospital beds
B. Assign blame
C. Quickly gather household-level information on community health needs
D. Replace triage
Correct Answer: C. Quickly gather household-level information on community health needs
Rationale: CASPER stands for Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response. It
guides resource allocation.
9. Natural disasters include:
A. Chemical spills
B. Hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, wildfires and pandemics
C. Terrorist bombings
D. Power plant failures caused by operators
Correct Answer: B. Hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, wildfires and pandemics
Rationale: Pandemics are often classified as natural (biological) hazards. Human-made disasters
are intentional or accidental.
, 10. Cultural competence in disaster response helps by:
A. Ensuring assistance is accessible and acceptable to diverse communities
B. Slowing response
C. Excluding groups
D. Imposing practices
Correct Answer: A. Ensuring assistance is accessible and acceptable to diverse communities
Rationale: Language and cultural barriers affect outcomes. Community partners help.
11. The "golden hour" concept in trauma refers to:
A. A one-hour lunch break
B. The time to complete paperwork
C. The critical early period when rapid care improves survival
D. The first day of recovery
Correct Answer: C. The critical early period when rapid care improves survival
Rationale: Early hemorrhage control and transport save lives. Disasters may delay care.
12. Disaster nursing differs from routine nursing in that:
A. Standards never change
B. Resources are always abundant
C. Care may need to be adapted to limited resources and focus on the greatest good for the
greatest number
D. Triage is not used
Correct Answer: C. Care may need to be adapted to limited resources and focus on the
greatest good for the greatest number
Rationale: Priorities shift in crises. Ethics guide adaptations.
(Units 1-7) - Questions with Correct Answers
100 questions
1. Disaster drills improve readiness by:
A. Wasting time
B. Testing plans, identifying gaps and building staff familiarity
C. Replacing plans
D. Increasing confusion
Correct Answer: B. Testing plans, identifying gaps and building staff familiarity
Rationale: Exercises reveal weaknesses before real events. After-action reviews drive
improvement.
2. Community vulnerability assessments help planners:
A. Ignore risk
B. Identify populations and areas at greatest risk to target preparedness
C. Reduce resources
D. Avoid planning
Correct Answer: B. Identify populations and areas at greatest risk to target preparedness
Rationale: Social vulnerability indices map risk. Resources can be prioritized.
3. A hazard vulnerability analysis (HVA) helps organizations:
A. Avoid planning
B. Calculate salaries
C. Identify and prioritize hazards based on probability and impact
D. Plan meals
Correct Answer: C. Identify and prioritize hazards based on probability and impact
Rationale: HVAs guide preparedness priorities. They are updated regularly.
,4. A disaster declaration at the state or federal level:
A. Enables access to additional resources and assistance
B. Has no effect
C. Closes all hospitals
D. Ends response efforts
Correct Answer: A. Enables access to additional resources and assistance
Rationale: Declarations trigger funding and legal flexibilities. The Stafford Act governs federal
declarations.
5. The recommended emergency water supply is about:
A. 1 cup per person per day
B. 10 gallons per person per hour
C. 1 gallon (about 3.8 L) per person per day
D. No stored water
Correct Answer: C. 1 gallon (about 3.8 L) per person per day
Rationale: This covers drinking and sanitation. Extra is needed in hot climates.
6. Resilience is:
A. Avoiding all disasters
B. The ability of individuals, communities and systems to absorb, adapt to and recover from
adversity
C. Rigid resistance to change
D. Lack of preparation
Correct Answer: B. The ability of individuals, communities and systems to absorb, adapt to
and recover from adversity
Rationale: Resilience can be strengthened through preparedness and social connections. It is a
key goal of disaster policy.
,7. Interdependence between health care facilities during disasters means that:
A. Coordination through coalitions and mutual aid improves regional response
B. Hospitals should act alone
C. Competition is best
D. Sharing is prohibited
Correct Answer: A. Coordination through coalitions and mutual aid improves regional
response
Rationale: Load balancing prevents single facilities from being overwhelmed. Coalitions
coordinate.
8. Rapid needs assessment after a disaster, such as CASPER, is used to:
A. Count hospital beds
B. Assign blame
C. Quickly gather household-level information on community health needs
D. Replace triage
Correct Answer: C. Quickly gather household-level information on community health needs
Rationale: CASPER stands for Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response. It
guides resource allocation.
9. Natural disasters include:
A. Chemical spills
B. Hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, wildfires and pandemics
C. Terrorist bombings
D. Power plant failures caused by operators
Correct Answer: B. Hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, wildfires and pandemics
Rationale: Pandemics are often classified as natural (biological) hazards. Human-made disasters
are intentional or accidental.
, 10. Cultural competence in disaster response helps by:
A. Ensuring assistance is accessible and acceptable to diverse communities
B. Slowing response
C. Excluding groups
D. Imposing practices
Correct Answer: A. Ensuring assistance is accessible and acceptable to diverse communities
Rationale: Language and cultural barriers affect outcomes. Community partners help.
11. The "golden hour" concept in trauma refers to:
A. A one-hour lunch break
B. The time to complete paperwork
C. The critical early period when rapid care improves survival
D. The first day of recovery
Correct Answer: C. The critical early period when rapid care improves survival
Rationale: Early hemorrhage control and transport save lives. Disasters may delay care.
12. Disaster nursing differs from routine nursing in that:
A. Standards never change
B. Resources are always abundant
C. Care may need to be adapted to limited resources and focus on the greatest good for the
greatest number
D. Triage is not used
Correct Answer: C. Care may need to be adapted to limited resources and focus on the
greatest good for the greatest number
Rationale: Priorities shift in crises. Ethics guide adaptations.
