Duty in a Time of Disaster: A Concept Analysis

TOPIC: The concept of "duty" is explored particularly as it applies to disaster nursing. PURPOSE: To identify the contributing factors to a nurse's sense of duty and the resulting consequences of such. Nursing implications of duty in a time of disaster are also discussed. SOURCES OF INFORMATION: Professional literature, electronic resources, and nursing textbooks were used. The analysis was done using Walker and Avant's (1995) process. CONCLUSION: The concept of duty has always been prevalent in nursing. As long as nurses have a sense of duty to their communities, nurse administrators will also have a moral obligation to protect their staff, especially in a time of disaster when nurses are compelled by a heightened sense of duty.