Assets-Based Assessment by Nurses in Extreme Environments

Nurses practicing in extreme environments, from disaster zones and conflict settings to maritime and alpine environments and to underserved rural areas, must navigate complex clinical demands with limited resources. Traditional needs-based assessments, while essential for emergency triage, often overlook existing community strengths that can support recovery. Assets-based assessment offers a complementary framework rooted in resilience, trauma-informed care, and strengths-based nursing, emphasizing what individuals and communities can do rather than what they lack. This article explores the theoretical foundations, practical applications, and contextual considerations of assets-based assessment by nurses working in extreme environments and seeks to shift the prevailing narrative in crisis nursing from deficit-focused care toward strength-oriented, culturally responsive, and empowering models of practice.