Registered nurses' experience as disaster preparedness coordinators during a major incident: A qualitative study

Nurses under fire: Insights from testimonies of community nurses and midwives in nonhospital settings in the southern Israel conflict zone

Nurses-with or without prehospital care training-may find themselves delivering immediate care to injured individuals outside a healthcare facility, sometimes even in situations where their own life is at risk. This study explores the experiences of community nurses and midwives who provided immediate care during the Hamas militant movement's attack in southern Israel. The researchers collected and analyzed eight nurse and midwife survivors' testimonies published in digital media to gain a deeper understanding of their perspectives. Through qualitative content analysis, common themes, patterns, and insights were identified. The study aimed to contribute valuable knowledge in this field and followed the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist for methodological rigor. Two themes emerged from the testimonies, focusing on the nurses' swift realization of necessary action under fire and resilience and ingenuity in practice. Despite lacking training and resources, the nurses professionally assessed the situation and improvised creative solutions to care for the wounded. Although they had no prehospital emergency care background, community nurses and midwives were able to respond effectively, providing lifesaving care. The findings highlight the nurses' resilience, adaptability, and dedication in unprecedented situations. However, the study also emphasizes the importance of providing all nurses with baseline prehospital care training and structured planning of this care to empower them to deliver optimal patient care in uncertain and dangerous conditions, especially in and around conflict and disaster zones.

Nurses' experiences of providing medical services during the Kermanshah earthquake in Iran: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Nurses have always been at the forefront of providing services for victims of disasters. Using nurses' experiences in disaster planning can play an important role in improving their readiness to provide healthcare during disasters. The objective of this study is not only to understand the challenges but also to explore and document the broader spectrum of experiences encountered by nurses in these critical situations. By focusing on their experiences, we aim to contribute valuable insights to enhance disaster preparedness and healthcare delivery strategies.

METHODS

This qualitative study employed the content analysis method to describe the experiences of 16 earthquake relief nurses in Kermanshah, Iran. Sampling was done purposefully and continued until data saturation was achieved. Initially, two unstructured interviews were conducted to shape the interview's main line and refine guide questions. Subsequently, the study involved semi-structured interviews and observation notes for a nuanced understanding of the participants' experiences.

RESULTS

In the analysis of the interviews, 920 codes were obtained and the nurses' experiences were categorized into three main categories: personal experiences, operational experiences, and social and cultural experiences. These three categories covered 12 subcategories.

CONCLUSION

Results of describing nurses' experiences in the Kermanshah earthquake showed that nurses need to plan and implement necessary measures to ensure pre-disaster preparedness to respond effectively to disasters such as earthquakes. Besides, it is necessary to prepare, train and practice these interventions regularly, periodically, and purposefully. They should be evaluated and updated if they are used in a real earthquake or practice and maneuver.

Disaster preparedness perception, pyschological resiliences and empathy levels of nurses after 2023 Great Turkiye earthquake: Are nurses prepared for disasters: A risk management study

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the study is to determine the disaster preparedness perceptions, psychological resilences and empathy levels of nurses after 2023 Great Turkiye Earthquake.

METHOD

This descriptive study was conducted in 2023 using with E-Anket. This study was carried out with voluntary participation of 464 nurses living in different geographical regions of Turkiye. The data of the study were obtained utilizing Nurses' Disasters Prepardeness Perception Scale (NDPPS), Pyschological Resileince Scale (PRS) and Empathy Scale (ES).

RESULTS

In this study, the disaster preparedness perception of the nurses was found to be at medium level. More than half of the nurses (65.1%) reported that they did not received any disaster training before. A meaningful was found between the nurses' disaster preparedness perceptions and their empathy levels and psychological resilence.

CONCLUSIONS

As in many countries, it is possible to state that also in Turkiye, the training of nurses for disasters are inadequate and that the studies on this subject are limited. This study will provide a theoretical platform to develop nurses' awareness of disaster preparedness and pyschological resilience and empathic approach programs to increase disaster resilience, and to conduct future research on disaster nursing.

Experiences of operating room nurses in disaster preparedness of a great disaster in Iran: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

In recent years, Iran has encountered a growing frequency of earthquake disasters. Given that nurses constitute the largest group of healthcare providers, it is imperative that they possess adequate disaster preparedness skills, irrespective of the location or time. Despite the operating room nurses' roles in disasters, their experiences and challenges in disaster preparedness have been overlooked. Consequently, this study aimed to investigate the experiences, challenges, perspectives, and factors influencing the disaster preparedness of operating room nurses during the 2017 earthquake in Kermanshah, Iran.

METHODS

The present qualitative research was carried out in Iran In 2022 utilizing conventional content analysis. The study involved conducting semi-structured interviews with 16 operating room nurses who had participated in disaster preparedness during the Kermanshah earthquake. The participants were selected using a purposive sampling approach that aimed to achieve maximum diversity. The interviews were continued until the point of data saturation was reached, and the verbatim transcripts were analyzed using conventional content analysis in MAXQDA software. To ensure the rigor of the research, Guba and Lincoln's criteria were employed.

RESULTS

The study conducted data analysis to identify the main theme as "insufficient disaster preparedness due to a faded preparedness", along with six major categories and eighteen subcategories related to earthquake disaster preparedness. The major categories included: knowledge and perception of preparedness for disasters; educational and training programs for disaster preparedness; equipment preparedness for disasters; managerial-organizational preparedness for disasters; clinical skills for responding to disasters; and resilient ability in disaster response situations.

CONCLUSION

The findings of the study provide valuable insights into the dimensions of disaster preparedness in earthquake disasters among operating room nurses. Nursing managers can utilize these findings to develop effective strategies and provide support in areas such as improving knowledge and educational level, equipment preparedness, strengthening plans and managerial structures, enhancing skills, and explaining resilience strategies to improve the disaster preparedness of operating room nurses and medical organizations' disaster response teams.