Educational needs and disaster response readiness: A cross-sectional study of clinical nurses

Developing Disaster Nursing Competencies Through Academic Service-Learning

BACKGROUND

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the Future of Nursing 2030 report emphasize the need for nursing students' competence in disaster care. Academic service-learning is a practical pedagogical approach for developing these skills that bolsters population health and leadership competencies.

METHOD

The Red Cross developed nine Academic Service-Learning (AS-L) modules that integrate training and hands-on experiences in disaster preparedness, response and recovery, well-being, diverse blood donation, case management, and immunizations and global health. Self-scored pre- and postquestions were developed to assess students' knowledge and confidence in skill application.

RESULTS

Ongoing evaluation shows promising preliminary results in student learning and community engagement. Active faculty participation significantly improved student learning outcomes.

CONCLUSION

The Red Cross AS-L initiative augments nursing students' disaster and community health competencies through practical training and immersive experiences that align with evolving health care needs and AACN competencies. [J Nurs Educ. 2025;64(4):265-268.].

What is Disaster Readiness Among Health Care Professionals? A Systematic Integrative Review Study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the meaning of disaster readiness among health care professionals.

METHODS

A systematic, integrative literature review was conducted on PubMed, Chinal plus with full text, Web of Science, PsychInfo, and Scopus. Quality appraisal was conducted using the CASP checklists.

RESULTS

A total of 22 scientific articles were included. Disaster readiness, from the perspectives of health care professionals, was defined as having sufficient skills and confidence to respond, having access to the necessary equipment, being able to adapt to the changing environment and organizational structure, and being willing to serve in a disaster.

CONCLUSIONS

Disaster readiness is more than being prepared. Disaster readiness means moving beyond technical skills and knowledges to include personal mental preparedness and a willingness to confront the risks and take necessary precautions to stay safe and resilient in the efforts to help others. To enhance disaster readiness, preparations should include introducing elements that touch the soul, providing moral and personal motivation to serve in a disaster, and initiating thoughts on what such deployments or situations could be like for those affected as well as for health care professionals. How to enhance such trainings and develop effective training methods must be a focus for future studies.

Are nursing students ready to respond to disasters? A study on self-efficacy of nursing students to apply psychological first aid

BACKGROUND

Psychological first aid (PFA) is an effective initial response to disasters. Nursing students are an important human resource for supporting health services during and after disasters. Improving nursing students' PFA application competencies is necessary for both themselves and aid providers.

AIM

This study aimed to determine sernior nursing students' self-efficacy in psychological first aid application in disaster situations.

DESIGN

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

A total of 536 senior nursing students who had received undergraduate nursing education in Turkey participated in this study.

METHODS

Data were collected between March and June 2022, using an online questionnaire comprising a "Personal Information Form" and "PFA Application Self-Efficacy Scale." The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, one-way analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis test, multiple comparison tests, and linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

The average age of the senior nursing students was 21.82 ± 2.23 years. Overall, 89.6 % of the students had not received PFA service from any institution. Furthermore, 91.4 % had not received PFA training at any institution. The students' mean score on the PFA application self-efficacy scale was 123.37 ± 22.92. Students who received PFA training had high average scores.

CONCLUSIONS

It is necessary to develop senior nursing students' self-efficacy in PFA application. In this context, it is recommended that systematic training, including training on the application of PFA, be conducted regularly along with applied studies on disaster response situations.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward bioterrorism preparedness among nurses: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Bioterrorism is an important topic in the field of biosecurity. Nurses, the largest group of healthcare workers, play a critical role in addressing the threat of bioterrorism. This study aimed to examine the present level of bioterrorism knowledge, attitudes, and practices among nurses. It also explored the relationships among bioterrorism knowledge, attitudes, and practices, as well as demographic variables that influence the scores of each dimension.

METHODS

A descriptive correlational research design was conducted using a convenience sample of 429 nurses in five tertiary general hospitals in Tianjin. Registered nurses with six months or more of work experience, currently still working in hospitals, and volunteering to participate in the study are included; otherwise, they are excluded. A structured questionnaire with four components was used: sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge of bioterrorism, attitudes toward bioterrorism, and practices related to bioterrorism. The acquired data were analyzed using the Mann‒Whitney test, Kruskal‒Wallis test, Spearman correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression. This study followed the STROBE guidelines.

RESULTS

The study ultimately included 429 valid surveys. The mean score for bioterrorism knowledge was satisfactory (33.06 ± 4.87), the mean score for bioterrorism attitudes was good (23.83 ± 5.23), and the mean score for bioterrorism practices was poor (10.94 ± 6.51). There was a significant negative correlation between bioterrorism knowledge and attitudes (r=-0.38, p < 0.01), knowledge and practices (r=-0.42, p < 0.01). Bioterrorism practices were significantly positively correlated with attitudes (r = 0.21, p < 0.01). Educational level (β = 0.17, p < 0.001), years of experience (β = 0.26, p < 0.001), and previous bioterrorism education (β = 0.19, p < 0.001) influenced the bioterrorism knowledge score. Gender (β=-0.21, p < 0.001), educational level (β = 0.10, p < 0.05), and previous bioterrorism education (β = 0.22, p < 0.001) affected the bioterrorism attitude score. Years of experience (β=-0.28, p < 0.001) and previous bioterrorism education (β = 0.13, p < 0.01) had an impact on the practice score.

CONCLUSIONS

Knowledge of bioterrorism was significantly negatively correlated with attitudes and practices, which could be attributed to the specificity of bioterrorism itself. To improve nurses' bioterrorism preparedness, continuing medical education efforts must be strengthened, as well as regular delivery of bioterrorism-specific training and drills.

Improve disaster literacy in nurses: a qualitative descriptive study

BACKGROUND

The enhancement of nurses' disaster literacy is crucial for effective disaster emergency management, especially for clinical nurses with no prior experience in disaster rescue. This study aims to explore the perspectives of nurses who have been involved in disaster rescue operations on strategies to advance nurses' disaster literacy.

METHODS

A qualitative descriptive study, which follows unified qualitative study reporting guidelines. Thirty disaster rescue nurses were recruited to participate in this study, who came from 30 third-class hospitals in China. From October to December 2021, information was acquired by conducting semi-structured telephone interviews with participants. Qualitative content analysis was used to examine the data.

RESULTS

Six categories and eleven subcategories were created. Strengthening disaster education and training was the main focus, and its subcategories included continuing education, nursing curriculum development, and disaster rescue experience guide. The second focus, which included scene simulation, actual combat/military simulation, and virtual reality simulation, was strengthening disaster simulation and drill. The third focus was on providing psychosocial support, which included improving self-psychological adjustment, developing resilience, and engaging in active coping. The fourth category was to strengthen nurse/hospital managers roles and leadership, which included enhancing professional identity and policies/leadership support. The fifth category was disaster preparedness, and the sixth was enhancing knowledge transformation.

CONCLUSIONS

Government agencies or healthcare organizations should actively promote the formation of nurses' disaster literacy from multiple viewpoints. Disaster education and training, simulation exercises, and psychosocial support should be prioritized.

Disaster Preparedness Among Nurses in China: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Increasingly frequent global disasters such as coronavirus disease 2019 pose a threat to human health and life. The World Health Organization has called on countries to formulate detailed plans to prepare for disasters. It is critical to investigate and evaluate the disaster preparedness of nurses.

PURPOSE

This study was designed to investigate the disaster preparedness and psychological condition of nurses in China and analyze the significant factors influencing their disaster preparedness.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2020, and 1,313 nurses were enrolled using convenience sampling. The study questionnaires were distributed and collected via a networking platform equivalent to Amazon Mechanical Turk. The disaster preparedness of the respondents was measured using the Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to evaluate anxiety and depression status, and a self-designed questionnaire developed based on a review of the literature was used to explore the potential factors of influence on disaster preparedness.

RESULTS

The average score for disaster preparedness among the participants was 186.34 ( SD = 40.80), which corresponded with a moderate level, especially in skill (mean score = 42.01, SD = 12.39). Items with higher scores included support for the government, personal protection, and health education, whereas items with lower scores included nursing leadership in the community, capacity to cope with chemical or biological attacks, and assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder. Disaster preparedness was negatively related with mental health, including depression and anxiety. The main factors affecting disaster preparedness included educational background, nursing specialty, prior disaster training, prior disaster rescue experience, and depression level.

CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The disaster preparedness of Chinese nurses must be improved. More attention should be paid to disaster preparedness in nurses, and future tailored interventions are urgently needed to promote nursing leadership in the community, the ability to cope with chemical or biological attacks, and posttraumatic stress disorder assessments. Moreover, relieving negative emotions to promote the mental health of nurses should receive greater attention.

Disaster nursing competencies of rural nurses during COVID-19: A cross-sectional study: Disaster nursing competencies

Background

Although rural nurses’ roles are indispensable in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) management, increased roles, workload, burnout, and reduced job satisfaction can hinder their work, potentially affecting nurses’ disaster nursing competencies.

Aim

The aim of the study was to identify the predictors of rural nurses’ disaster nursing competencies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Nurses from rural community hospitals in South Korea (N=204) were surveyed during June–July 2021. We used the Professional Quality of Life and Disaster Nursing Preparedness-Response Competencies questionnaires. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of disaster nursing competencies.

Findings

The mean score for disaster nursing competency of the 204 participants was 110.80 (standard deviation=19.14). Disaster nursing competencies correlated with age, nursing career, compassion satisfaction, and secondary traumatic stress. Compassion satisfaction (β=.27, P=.004), prior disaster nursing education (β=.19, P=.005), and prior participation in disaster nursing care (β=.16, P=.022) predicted disaster nursing competencies, together accounting for 24.2% of the variance.

Discussion

Our findings imply that increasing opportunities for continuing education regarding disaster nursing is crucial to enhance the related competencies in rural nurses. This study also highlights the necessity for stakeholders to develop programs aimed at increasing rural nurses’ compassion satisfaction.

Conclusion

Prior disaster nursing education, prior participation in disaster nursing care, and compassion satisfaction predicted disaster nursing competencies among rural nurses, with compassion satisfaction being the strongest predictor.

Mental health nurses' disaster nursing competencies: A cross-sectional study

The unprecedented and prolonged coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has escalated the gravity of disasters in the field of mental health. Nurses are health care providers who play a pivotal role in all phases of disaster management and psychiatric nurses are required to be prepared and equipped with competencies to respond to such disasters. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the effects of mental health nurses' professional quality of life on disaster nursing competencies. This study adhered to the STROBE checklist for observational research. Data were collected from 196 mental health nurses working in various settings, including hospitals and communities in South Korea. Compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue were measured using the Korean version of the Professional Quality of Life Scale. Disaster nursing competencies were measured using the Disaster Nursing Preparedness-Response Competencies Scale. Multiple regression analysis showed that compassion satisfaction (β = 0.36, P < 0.001) was the most potent predictor of disaster nursing competencies of mental health nurses, followed by participation in disaster nursing (β = 0.15, P = 0.023) and disaster nursing-related education (β = 0.15, P = 0.026); these factors explained 30.1% of the variance. Education programmes ensuring that mental health nurses are adequately prepared for disaster management should include theoretical content as well as simulation training using virtual situations that resemble actual disasters. Further, supportive leadership and work environments that encourage cohesive teamwork are needed to increase compassion satisfaction of nurses.

Effectiveness of the Infectious Disease (COVID-19) Simulation Module Program on Nursing Students: Disaster Nursing Scenarios

PURPOSE

This study aimed to develop an emerging infectious disease (COVID-19) simulation module for nursing students and verify its effectiveness.

METHODS

A one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study was conducted with 78 under-graduate nursing students. A simulation module was developed based on the Jeffries simulation model. It consisted of pre-simulation lectures on disaster nursing including infectious disease pandemics, practice, and debriefings with serial tests. The scenarios contained pre-hospital settings, home visits, arrival to the emergency department, and follow-up home visits for rehabilitation.

RESULTS

Disaster preparedness showed a statistically significant improvement, as did competencies in disaster nursing. Confidence in disaster nursing increased, as did willingness to participate in disaster response. However, critical thinking did not show significant differences between time points, and neither did triage scores.

CONCLUSION

The developed simulation program targeting an infectious disease disaster positively impacts disaster preparedness, disaster nursing competency, and confidence in disaster nursing, among nursing students. Further studies are required to develop a high-fidelity module for nursing students and medical personnel. Based on the current pandemic, we suggest developing more scenarios with virtual reality simulations, as disaster simulation nursing education is required now more than ever.