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The actual disaster response plan that Ashcraft helped to develop in her own nursing unit, and which she advocates in the article, consists of the following elements: purpose, function, chain of command, notification, personnel, and admission responsibilities (Ashcraft 2001, p. 49-50). The author also stresses the importance of getting and maintaining accurate data, spelling out certain procedures for nurses recording data as a means of keeping administrators and other relevant personnel informed; the need to "identify potential discharges" to make room for more patients in acute care is also discussed (Ashcraft 2001, p. 50). By keeping track of the minute details, the bigger picture in a disaster can be more easily dealt with.

The article goes on to list and discuss many other areas of important consideration when it comes to planning for a disaster and thus carrying to an effective response when a disaster actually strikes. Proper staffing levels need to be maintained at all times, and contact information for additional staff should be organized according to distance from the hospital in order to bring in as many staff members as possible as soon as they can be made available in the unit (Ashcraft 2001, p. 51). Prioritizing inpatient care in the manner that allows for the most effective and efficient use of resources and ensuring that proper follow-up appointments and symptom/pain management techniques are effectively communicated are both essential tasks of acute nursing staff during a disaster response, as well (Ashcraft 2011, p. 51-2). Having procedures in place to speed up standard admissions procedures during a disaster response is also highly recommended by the author (Ashcraft 2001, p. 52).

Being prepared for an emergency or disaster is important for any medical facility and all medical personnel, including nurses in an acute care unit. It might even be all the more important fro acute care nurses to develop an implement a disaster preparedness plan, as they are very likely to be underutilized and underprepared in the event of a disaster unless they take this initiative themselves (Ashcraft 2001). Without proper planning and preparation, inefficiencies and improperly used resources can cost lives very quickly, and there is simply no way to prepare for a disaster after it has struck. With preparation comes a greater ability to help (Ashcraft 2001, p. 52).