Abstract: Surge capacity is a fundamental and critical approach to hospital preparedness. To successfully survive a typicallyunexpected situation, a well-developed disaster plan is essential. The aim of this review paper was to provide currentevidence of the use of the hospital preparedness approach in managing emergencies and disasters. Between January 2014and June 2024, a comprehensive search of published articles in English via EBSCO, CINAHL, Google Scholar, PubMed, andMEDLINE was conducted. The search included both quantitative and qualitative studies. In total, 44 articles were relevantto the review. All the identified relevant papers were reviewed to determine the studies related to this review. Twosubtopics were identified: hospital preparedness and surge capacity. The findings of the reviewed studies provide anexciting opportunity to advance our knowledge of hospital preparedness and surge capacity. It is integral to healthcaresystem programs, particularly in disaster-prone areas, to manage the state of chaos effectively and control morbidity andmortality rates. Nurses, recognized as experts in planning and coordinating patient care, assume a primary role in disasterplanning efforts. Understanding the concept of surge capacity, it becomes clearer that nurses and nurse managers play acrucial role in enhancing emergency preparedness plans.