What are the most common domains of the core competencies of disaster nursing? A scoping review

Disaster management competence, disaster preparedness belief, and disaster preparedness relationship: Nurses after the 2023 Turkey earthquake

AIM

To examine the relationship between nurses' competency levels in disaster nursing management, their disaster preparedness and disaster preparedness beliefs.

BACKGROUND

Nurses' competency in disaster nursing management makes disaster response easier. Factors that may affect this reason should be examined.

METHODS

The study was conducted between April and July 2023 with nurses working in a province in the first-degree earthquake zone in Turkey. The sample of the study consisted of a total of 207 nurses who were selected from primary, secondary, and tertiary care institutions by using the stratified sampling method. Data were collected with a personal information form, the Competencies for Disaster Nursing Management Questionnaire, the Disaster Preparedness Scale, and the General Disaster Preparedness Beliefs Scale. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests, Spearman regression coefficient, and multiple linear regression analysis were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

There was a positive correlation between nurses' competency levels regarding duties and responsibilities and their disaster preparedness levels. Having disaster-related training also positively affected the level of competence in duties and responsibilities. Belief in disaster preparedness and having "partial" knowledge about the disaster had no relationship with competencies.

DISCUSSION

According to the International Council of Nurses and current studies on disaster nursing, "competence areas" are among the priority study subjects.

CONCLUSION

According to the study results, disaster preparedness and having disaster-related education are effective factors in nurses' competencies related to duties and responsibilities.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING POLICY

The results of this study may increase awareness in the healthcare system about nurses' disaster management competency levels and the factors that may affect this. It is recommended that disaster preparedness and disaster-related education factors should be taken into account in the initiatives and policies to be planned to improve the duty and responsibility competence of nurses.

Factors affecting nurses' emergency competencies in public health emergency: A cross-sectional study based on the stress-coping adaptation model

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the factors associated with stress, resilience, coping styles, and emergency competencies when nurses are faced with a public health emergency.

DESIGN

This study used a cross-sectional design.

SAMPLE

Study data came from a survey of 646 nurses who were from a tertiary hospital in Southern China in March-June 2022.

METHODS

Participants responded to self-report questionnaires through a web-based survey. Stress, resilience, emergency competencies, and response to public emergencies were assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the core competencies of nurses in public health emergencies, and a simplified coping style questionnaire.

RESULTS

A total of 646 nurses participated in this study. Slightly over half of the participants were ≤30 years old, and almost all were female. Resilience, positive coping, and negative coping were positively correlated with emergency competencies. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that resilience, working years, and participation in the treatment of infectious diseases were significant predictors of emergency competencies.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that nurses require additional training in emergency management and clinical practice to enhance their emergency competencies. More interventions and social support should be provided to improve nurses' resilience and positive coping strategies when they encounter public health emergencies.

The core competencies in disaster nursing of new graduate nurses in Guangdong, China: A cross-sectional study

AIM

This study aimed to assess the level of core competencies in disaster nursing of New Graduate Nurses (NGNs) and explore its influencing factors.

BACKGROUND

In recent years, the overall frequency of disasters around the world has been on the rise. As the emerging workforce in clinical settings, NGNs play an integral role in future disaster relief efforts. NGNs' level and influencing impact of core competencies in disaster nursing need to be understood.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional design.

METHODS

From June to September 2023, the Core Competencies in Disaster Nursing Scale - General Professional Nurse (CCDNS-GPN), designed according to the CCDN V2.0, was used to collect data from NGNs of six nursing schools and 15 hospitals in Guangdong, China. Descriptive analysis was conducted to examine the scores of core competencies in disaster nursing. Furthermore, one-way analysis of variance and multivariate linear regression analysis were used to explore the influencing factors.

RESULTS

A total of 607 NGNs participated in this study. The scores of CCDNS-GPN of NGNs were 90.23 (SD 15.09) (score ratio: 51.56%), indicating a low level of core competencies in disaster nursing. The highest competency was the recovery (score ratio: 55.00%), while the lowest competency was the communication (score ratio: 45.44%). The predictor for core competencies in disaster nursing of NGNs were male (β = 0.091, p < 0.05), below bachelor's degree (β = -0.109, p < 0.05), had received disaster nursing education at school (β = 0.087, p < 0.05), had participated in a disaster rescue drill at school (β = 0.140, p < 0.05), had been to the ICU during internship (β = 0.135, p < 0.05) and had the intention to be a disaster specialized nurse (β = 0.114, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The NGNs exhibited insufficient core competencies in disaster nursing in Guangdong, China. Nursing schools and clinical institutions should collaborate and play their respective roles to enhance nurses' core competencies in disaster nursing, ensuring they can timely, safely and efficiently participate in disaster medical relief efforts.

Jordanian Nurses' Perceptions of Disaster Preparedness and Core Competencies

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to identify the Jordanian nurses' perception of their disaster preparedness and core competencies.

METHODS

A descriptive, cross-sectional research design was used. The data was collected via an online self-reported questionnaire using the disaster preparedness evaluation tool and the core disaster competencies tool.

RESULTS

A total of 126 nurses participated in the study. Jordanian nurses had moderate to high levels of core disaster competencies and moderate levels of disaster preparedness. Core disaster competencies and disaster preparedness levels differed based on previous training on disaster preparedness, and the availability of an established emergency plan in their hospitals. Lastly, a previous training on disaster preparedness and core disaster competencies were statistically significant predictors of disaster preparedness among Jordanian nurses.

CONCLUSIONS

Organizational factors and environmental contexts play a role in the development of such capabilities. Future research should focus on understanding the barriers and facilitators of developing core disaster competencies and disaster preparedness among nurses.

Exploring the experiences, motivations, and skillsets of nurse volunteers during Hajj: implications for enhancing volunteer programs

BACKGROUND

The annual Islamic pilgrimage of Hajj attracts millions of pilgrims from around the world, necessitating the involvement of healthcare professionals, including nurse volunteers, to ensure the safety and well-being of attendees. This study aims to explore the experiences, motivations, and skillsets of nurse volunteers during the Hajj pilgrimage, focusing on the personal, professional, and spiritual dimensions of volunteering, and providing insights to enhance volunteer programs.

METHODS

The demographic data shows that the majority of nurse volunteers during Hajj 2022 fell in the 30-39 age group and were predominantly women. The study provides insights into the interest, experience, and motives for volunteering, with spiritual motives cited as a primary driver. An overview of volunteer hours, perceived benefits, and pre-existing skills reveals diverse commitments and skillsets among the volunteers.

RESULTS

Nurse volunteers during Hajj 2022 show diverse age and gender composition, strong commitment, spiritual motives, varied engagement, and professional skills. Team dynamics, skills development, and positive experiences are crucial. A potential gap exists in preparatory education. Significant associations are found between age, volunteer hours, training, skill practice, and gender.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the multifaceted benefits of volunteering during Hajj and underscores the need for decision-makers to devise strategies that cater to diverse needs, foster collaboration, and enhance the preparedness of nurse volunteers. Further research is suggested to examine the long-term impact of volunteering during Hajj on nurses' professional development and personal well-being and to evaluate the effectiveness of various recruitment strategies, training programs, and support initiatives.

Post-quake call for action: developing core competencies matrix for Syrian health workers in emergency time

BACKGROUND

The recent earthquake in Syria has caused widespread devastation, leading to extensive damage and loss of life. Considering the diverse range of disasters and conflicts that have affected Syrian society, health workers must possess essential competencies to effectively manage various types of disasters, including earthquakes. Therefore, this study was undertaken to identify the specific competencies required by Syrian health workers to respond efficiently and effectively to earthquakes.

METHODS

An exploratory qualitative study was conducted at the Medical Education Program MEP of the Syrian Virtual University SVU. Nine members of the research team of the MEP, who represent various health specializations in medicine, dentistry, nursing, and pharmacy, accepted to take part in this study. Among these, three members have been actively involved in providing health care in hospitals and the field during the Syrian earthquake on 6 February 2023. The Delphi process was adopted to identify competencies. Health workers involved in earthquake response were categorized into nine groups including medical doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, psychological support professionals, medical students, allied healthcare professionals, on-site disaster teams, and managers. The final list was accepted if it achieved more than 80% agreement among the participants in the first, second, and final rounds.

RESULTS

The study identified 74 competencies (12 knowledge items, 35 skills, and 27 attitudes) essential for health workers to respond effectively to earthquakes. They are categorized into five domains: "Preparing the team for the rescue process during and, after earthquakes, Implementation of the rescue process, Education and psychological support, Research, and development".

CONCLUSION

A list of earthquake competencies was identified for health workers. It is hoped that this list will enhance a country's resilience and will enable decision-makers to support health workers in acquiring these competencies within a very strained health system in Syria and other countries.

Learning to Fly in the Time of COVID-19: Nurse Resident Experiences During the First Surge

This qualitative study, designed by nursing professional development specialists, explored novice nurses' experiences working during the first COVID-19 surge of 2020. Semistructured focus group interviews were conducted in June-December 2020 with 23 novice nurses who cared for patients with COVID-19 in March-April 2020. Sixteen themes were identified under three broad categories (viz., stimuli, coping, and adaptation). These themes and participant exemplars are shared along with recommendations on how best to support novice nurses working through the ongoing pandemic.

Common domains of nurses' competencies in public health emergencies: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

A public health emergency can cause large numbers of deaths in a short period, with devastating social, economic and health consequences. Nurses are the main healthcare providers during such emergencies, and their competencies affect the control and outcomes of the situation. Studies on nurses' competencies in public health emergencies vary between countries and healthcare systems. Therefore, we conducted a scoping review to identify the common domains of nurses' competencies in public health emergencies worldwide.

METHODS

We searched the PubMed, CINHAL, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, Embase, Cochrane Library, WanFang and ECRI databases from their inception to 2023. All published articles on nurses' competencies in public health emergencies that were published in English and Chinese were included. We mainly analyzed and synthesized nurses' competencies, assessment instruments and the training described in the included studies.

RESULTS

A total of 27 competency domains were identified following an analysis and summary. The most frequently cited domains were communication skills, self-protection skills, basic knowledge of a public health emergency, laws and ethics and the capacity for organizational collaboration. The Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool and the Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire were the most commonly used tools for assessing competencies. Most training was conducted online and the content that was covered varied by country.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the significant roles and responsibilities of nurses in public health emergencies, knowing the domains of their competencies is essential to evaluating, developing, and conducting clinical training.

Emergency care in the context of armed conflict: Nurses' perspectives of the essential core competencies

AIM

To identify nurses' perspectives of their core competencies for emergency care in the context of armed conflict.

INTRODUCTION

Emergency department's (ED) capacity is frequently overwhelmed by a sudden surge of patients when located near armed conflict. Although emergency nurses are key frontline responders, evidence detailing core competencies needed to work in these areas remains limited.

METHOD

The study used a cross-sectional survey design and is reported using STROBE guidelines. A validated questionnaire was administered in hospitals near the southern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Yemen border, where emergency nurses regularly manage large numbers of patients from armed conflict.

RESULT

A total of 163 questionnaires were returned (68% response rate). Most participants were female and had more than six years of ED experience. The core competencies for emergency nurses working near armed conflict were identified and highly rated by participants: the highest mean value was 9.47/10 and the lowest was 8.89/10. Analysis revealed regular education, training and drills were needed to provide quality emergency nursing care for victims of armed conflict.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY

This study provides new evidence regarding core competencies in emergency nursing care in the context of armed conflict. The identified competencies should be incorporated into future education, curricula, training programmes and evaluations to enable emergency nurses to function effectively in the context of armed conflict. The findings will assist decision-makers to develop plans and strategies for mitigating risk and improving the future nursing response in similar contexts.

Core competencies of emergency nurses for the armed conflict context: Experiences from the field

BACKGROUND

Armed conflicts are usually associated with high mortality and morbidity rates, with unpredictable workload, injuries and illnesses. Identifying emergency nurses' views of the core competencies required to enable them to work effectively in hospitals in areas of armed conflict is critical. It is important to inform the requisite standards of care and facilitate the translation of knowledge into safe, quality care.

AIM

The aim of this study was to identify emergency nurses' perceptions of core competencies necessary to work in hospitals in the context of armed conflict.

METHOD

A descriptive qualitative phase of a mixed-method study using semi-structured interviews with participants was conducted from June to July 2019. The COREQ guideline for reporting qualitative research was followed.

FINDINGS

A sample of 15 participants was interviewed. The participant perceptions provided a different perspective of core competencies required for emergency nurses in the context of armed conflict, culminating in four main areas: (i) personal preparedness , (ii) leadership, (iii) communication and (iv) assessment and intervention.

CONCLUSION

This study identified emergency nurses' perceptions of their core competencies. Personal preparedness, leadership, communication, assessment and intervention were identified as contributing to calmness of character, confidence in care and cultural awareness for care in this setting and were essential for them to work effectively when managing victims of armed conflict in emergency departments.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE AND HEALTH POLICY

The findings of this study are important and novel because the researchers sought the perspectives of emergency nurses who have experience in receiving patients from armed conflict firsthand. The findings will inform policymakers in those settings regarding standard of care, education and drills for hospital nurses in optimizing armed conflict care response outcomes.

Competencies for dental public health specialists: A thematic analysis

INTRODUCTION

Competency frameworks have been used to accurately guide the training and assessment of professionals. Dental Public Health professionals require a variety of skills beyond clinical aspects to meet ongoing social, economic, epidemiologic, technological, etc. developments. The purpose of this study was to develop a primary competency framework for dental public health (DPH) professionals by reviewing existing documents that can be modified by authorities based on their needs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

To identify DPH competencies, first a literature review of current postgraduate DPH competencies was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Google from May to June 2021. All English language documents addressing DPH competencies were included and transferred to MAXQDA software. Next, DPH competency domains were extracted and defined, using Clarke and Braun's six-step qualitative thematic analysis method.

RESULTS

In total, 206 English documents were retrieved. After exclusion of 201 documents due to being duplicate or not related in screening stages, five full-text English documents describing competencies of DPH specialists from the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and New Zealand, Canada, and Ireland were reviewed. Thematic analysis led to the provision of a framework consisting of all mentioned competencies in the reviewed documents including nine domains in education, research, management, policy, communication, leadership, professionalism, oral health status, and oral health services.

CONCLUSION

The proposed primary framework covers all competency domains and, as a comprehensive tool, can be used as a guide by local, national, and international authorities to develop their own frameworks for training and evaluating the DPH workforce.

Nurse Perceptions of Knowledge and Preparedness for Disasters

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed to determine the level of knowledge and perceptions of preparedness for disasters among nurses working in a tertiary university hospital.

METHOD

The population of this cross-sectional study consisted of nurses working in a university hospital in the Eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey (n = 340). The sample included 183 nurses who were determined using the OpenEpi program and the universal sampling method. The data were collected using the Sociodemographic Information Form and the Disaster Preparedness Perception Scale in Nurses (DPPSN) and analyzed using SPSS 22 software.

RESULTS

The mean age of the participants was 34.31 + 8.52 years; 83.1% were female, 66.1% had at least a bachelor's degree and worked in a surgical ward, 49.7% had been working for at least 11 years, and 58.5% had received training on disasters. Those who received disaster-related training received it mostly face to face (70.1%) from their institutions (91.6%) and in the form of 2-4 hours of training (75.7%); 52.5% had previously participated in a disaster-related drill, and 83.1% took on the role of caregiver during a disaster. The DPPSN mean score of the nurses involved in the study was found to be 3.53 ± 0.58 out of 5 points for the total scale.

CONCLUSION

The results of the study showed that nurses considered themselves partially adequate for disaster preparedness, in general.

Effectiveness of an online training program for improving nurses' competencies in disaster risk management

BACKGROUND

Nurses' incompetency in disaster risk management can have many negative consequences during disasters, so it is important to prepare nurses and improve their competencies in disaster risk management. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effectiveness of an online training program to improve competencies in disaster risk management.

METHOD

This interventional study was conducted on nurses working in a specialized trauma hospital affiliated with the Kerman University of Medical Sciences in southeastern Iran in 2023. Eighty-one nurses were randomly assigned into two interventions (n = 42) and control groups (n = 39). The intervention group received an online training program in four sessions, and both groups electronically completed the demographic questionnaire and the nurses' perceptions of disaster core competencies scale (NPDCC) before and one month after the intervention.

RESULTS

The study results showed no significant difference in disaster competency scores between the two groups before the intervention (p < 0.51), but the NPDCC score in the intervention group was statistically significant after the intervention compared to before the intervention (p < 0.02) and no statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups after the intervention (p < 0.16).

CONCLUSION

While the online training program was found to significantly improve the NPDCC score of nurses in the intervention group, this increase was not significant when compared to the control group. Therefore, we suggest continuous practical exercises and maneuvers to improve nurses' perception of the competencies required for effective disaster management.

Relationship between emotional intelligence and disaster response self-efficacy: A comparative study in nurses

BACKGROUND

Nurses who constitute an important part of the health system play a critical role in all stages of disaster management, especially in providing care for disaster victims. It is essential for nurses to have adequate education and qualifications to reduce disaster-related mortality and morbidity rates in the community. The qualifications of nurses depend not only on their knowledge and skills but also on their emotional abilities such as empathy and stress management. Emotions can impact individuals' levels of self-efficacy in disaster response, and it may help explain the differences in self-efficacy among nurses.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and disaster response self-efficacy, and compare the scores between hospital nurses and National Medical Rescue Team nurses.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional design.

SETTINGS

This research was conducted at Bezmialem Foundation University Hospital and National Medical Rescue Team in Istanbul, Turkey.

PARTICIPANTS

This study included 565 nurses from two different institutions.

METHODS

A survey consisting of the Demographic Information Form, the Modified Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale, and the Disaster Response Self-Efficacy Scale was administered to the nurses. The data collected from March to April of 2022 was analyzed using SPSS 25.0 program. The differences and relationships among variables were determined by using Chi-square tests, student's t-tests, Pearson correlation, and linear regression analyses.

RESULTS

Of the 565 participants, 219 (38.8%) were hospital nurses and 346 (61.2%) were NMRT nurses. NMRT nurses scored significantly higher in emotional intelligence (131.45 ± 6.15 versus 129.75 ± 6.01) and disaster response self-efficacy (80.71 ± 11.38 versus 77.77 ± 11.33) than hospital nurses (p < 0.05). In addition, emotional intelligence was found to be significantly and positively correlated to disaster response self-efficacy (r = 0.885, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The emotional intelligence and disaster response self-efficacy were positively correlated, and both levels of NMRT nurses higher than hospital nurses. These findings suggest that healthcare organizations should take the emotional intelligence of nurses as an important means to improve their disaster response selfefficacy. It can improve the quality of disaster response to obtain well self-efficacy by developing the emotional intelligence of nurses.

Advancing the scientific study of prehospital mass casualty response through a Translational Science process: the T1 scoping literature review stage

PURPOSE

The European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation funding program awarded the NIGHTINGALE grant to develop a toolkit to support first responders engaged in prehospital (PH) mass casualty incident (MCI) response. To reach the projects' objectives, the NIGHTINGALE consortium used a Translational Science (TS) process. The present work is the first TS stage (T1) aimed to extract data relevant for the subsequent modified Delphi study (T2) statements.

METHODS

The authors were divided into three work groups (WGs) MCI Triage, PH Life Support and Damage Control (PHLSDC), and PH Processes (PHP). Each WG conducted simultaneous literature searches following the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews. Relevant data were extracted from the included articles and indexed using pre-identified PH MCI response themes and subthemes.

RESULTS

The initial search yielded 925 total references to be considered for title and abstract review (MCI Triage 311, PHLSDC 329, PHP 285), then 483 articles for full reference review (MCI Triage 111, PHLSDC 216, PHP 156), and finally 152 articles for the database extraction process (MCI Triage 27, PHLSDC 37, PHP 88). Most frequent subthemes and novel concepts have been identified as a basis for the elaboration of draft statements for the T2 modified Delphi study.

CONCLUSION

The three simultaneous scoping reviews allowed the extraction of relevant PH MCI subthemes and novel concepts that will enable the NIGHTINGALE consortium to create scientifically anchored statements in the T2 modified Delphi study.

Status and associated factors of gerontological nurse specialists' core competency: a national cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Nurses' core competency directly affects patients' safety and health outcomes. Gerontological nurse specialists play an essential role in improving older adults' health status. However, little is known about their core competency level and the factors influencing core competency. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the status of core competency and factors influencing the core competency of gerontological nurse specialists in China.

METHODS

A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted on gerontological nurse specialists certified by province-level or above organizations across China between March 2019 and January 2020. The Revised Core Competency Evaluation Instrument for Gerontological Nurse Specialists was used to measure participants' core competency. The median, frequencies, and percentages were used to describe participants' characteristics and level of core competency. Multivariate stepwise regression analysis was applied to analyze the factors influencing core competency.

RESULTS

The median score of gerontological nurse specialists' core competency was 3.84, and professional development skills and research and analysis decision-making skills had the lowest scores among the dimensions. The multivariate stepwise regression analysis showed that individual-level factors (i.e., working experience length of geriatric nursing and attitudes toward caring for older adults), employer-level factors (i.e., departments, job responsibilities, the degree of satisfaction toward the attention and support and the promotion rules provided by the hospital or department), and training-associated factors (i.e., economic zone where training organizations are located and the degree to which the training content met clinical needs) are independently associated with gerontological nurse specialists' core competency level (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that gerontological nurse specialists' core competency needs further improvements, especially regarding professional development skills and research and analysis decision-making skills. Additionally, individual-, training-, and employer-level factors could influence their core competency level, indicating that interventions targeting these factors could be applied to improve the core competency of gerontological nurse specialists.

[Problems and Suggested Solutions of Advanced Practice Nursing in Disaster Events]

Nurses constitute the largest component of the healthcare workforce and are often the mainstay of disaster management. The leadership, decision-making, and coordination skills that advanced practice nurses possess are of critical value for disaster precision nursing. However, previous studies mostly focused on disaster specialist nurses and emergency or critical care nurses and little attention was directed at advanced practice nurses. In this paper, we reviewed published research and summarized the current status of advanced practice nursing in disaster events. We identified through our analysis the problems in advanced practice nursing, including poor disaster education, a lack of clearly-defined rescue roles, and difficulty in the implementation of practice reform. We suggested solutions, including developing a whole-process and multi-form disaster curriculum, refining rescue tasks from a team perspective, and establishing a system of quality and safety supervision for advanced practice nursing, aiming to provide new ideas for the development of disaster nursing in China.

Design, Implement, and Evaluate a Short-term Blended Training Program on Nursing Students' Disaster Response Self-efficacy in Iran

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to design, implement, and evaluate a training program on nursing students' disaster response self-efficacy.

METHODS

This study was conducted using a pre-test, post-test, and follow up design. A total of 92 nursing students participated in the study. The developed program was implemented both theoretically (online) and practically (in person). Nursing students' disaster response self-efficacy was measured using the Disaster Response Self-Efficacy Scale that was filled out 1 week before the intervention, and 2 months after the intervention by the students. The students' satisfaction with the program and their views on the program were also surveyed.

RESULTS

Overall score and all items score had significant improvement in short-, and long-term except in 1 item (item 22). The highest increase in score was related to practical items and referral for psychiatric treatment (items 7, 8, 10, and 18) and the lowest increase was related to communication and ethical skill items (items 20, 21, and 22). It is possible that the students had a higher perception of communication and ethical skills even before the training. Most of the students were satisfied with the program.

CONCLUSIONS

A training intervention that can provide theoretical materials online, as well as face-to-face practical programs, can increase nursing students' disaster response self-efficacy.

Influence of social responsibility and pandemic awareness of nursing students on COVID-19 preventive behaviours: a cross-sectional online survey in South Korea

OBJECTIVES

Factors influencing COVID-19 preventive behaviour require exploration to strengthen the response competencies of prehealthcare professionals and reduce the pandemic's impact. This study aimed to identify the level of COVID-19 preventive behaviour among Korean nursing students and to determine the influence of social responsibility and pandemic awareness to present educational strategies for reducing disaster impact.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

As a cross-sectional descriptive survey study using an online questionnaire, the participants were convenience sampled from one online community for nursing students and three nursing colleges located in Seoul, South Korea. The data from 590 participants were analysed by t-test, analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation and linear multiple regression using SPSS.

RESULTS

The factors influencing COVID-19 preventive behaviour were identified to be social responsibility (linear regression coefficient 0.354, 95% CI 0.243 to 0.464), pandemic awareness (linear regression coefficient 0.131, 95% CI 0.025 to 0.237), impact of COVID-19 on daily life (linear regression coefficient 0.085, 95% CI 0.019 to 0.152) and living in Daegu/Gyeong-buk area (linear regression coefficient 0.134, 95% CI 0.024 to 0.244).

CONCLUSION

Based on the findings that social responsibility and pandemic awareness are key predictors of COVID-19 preventive behaviour, customised educational programmes and additional studies are recommended for raising social responsibility and pandemic awareness among prehealthcare professionals as a part of disaster response.

Development and psychometric evaluation of the trauma nurse core competency scale

Background

Trauma, especially severe trauma, has become a significant public health problem worldwide. This postulates higher requirements on the core competence of trauma nurses. However, limited scales exist to assess it validly and reliably. This study aims to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Trauma Nurse Core Competency Scale (TNCCS).

Methods

This study included three stages. First, scale development was based on a broad literature review and two rounds of Delphi expert consultation. Then, a pre-investigation was conducted with 106 trauma nurses, and a formal scale was formed. Finally, scale evaluation of reliability and validity, based on a cross-sectional study, was tested with 1,107 trauma nurses. Content validity and structure validity were used to evaluate the validity of TNCCS. The Cronbach's α coefficient and the split-half reliability coefficient were used to evaluate the reliability of TNCCS.

Results

The final scale contained 46 items under three dimensions, which were Knowledge and skills (21 items), Comprehensive literacy (20 items), and Professionalism & physical and mental health (5 items). The Content Validity Index (CVI) of the total scale was 0.980. The goodness-of-fit indices (χ²/df = 3.547, RMSEA = 0.065, GFI = 0.929, CFI = 0.912, NFI = 0.904, IFI = 0.929) signified a good fit for this model. The Construct Reliability (CR) ranged from 0.89 to 0.98, and the Average Variance Extracted (AVE) ranged from 0.62 to 0.69. The Cronbach's α coefficient of the scale was 0.99, ranging from 0.90 to 0.98 for the subscales. The split-half reliability coefficient was 0.84.

Conclusions

The TNCCS demonstrated good validity and reliability, and it could be used to assess the core competency of trauma nurses. The present study has valuable implications for nursing managers to take corresponding measures to train and improve the core competence of trauma nurses.

The Effects of Disaster Nursing Education Program on Beliefs in General Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Response Self-Efficacy, and Psychological Resilience in Nursing Students: A Single-Blind, Randomized Controlled Study

AIM

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a disaster nursing and management education program on beliefs in general disaster preparedness, disaster response self-efficacy, and psychological resilience in nursing students.

METHOD

The sample consisted of nursing students receiving undergraduate education in Istanbul, Turkey. Participants were randomly divided into the intervention ( n = 65) and control ( n = 66) groups. The intervention group was given an eight-module education program with theoretical and applied components. Data were collected using the Belief in General Disaster Preparedness Scale, the Disaster Response Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Brief Resilience Scale.

RESULTS

The mean Belief in General Disaster Preparedness Scale, Disaster Response Self-Efficacy Scale, and Brief Resilience Scale scores of the intervention group were higher than those of the control group.

CONCLUSION

The disaster nursing and management education program provided to nursing students was determined to increase beliefs in general disaster preparedness, disaster response self-efficacy, and psychological resilience.

Disaster nursing and disaster preparedness: an investigation of nursing students' knowledge, competence and attitudes

BACKGROUND

Any country is at risk of disasters associated with natural, biological, technological and societal hazards. Such disasters pose ever greater challenges for healthcare systems. Nurses and nursing students have a crucial role in responding dynamically to disasters in their communities.

AIM

To investigate nursing students' knowledge of and self-perceived competence in disaster nursing and attitudes towards disaster preparedness.

METHOD

A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used to investigate knowledge, competence and attitudes in a convenience sample of 300 nursing students in their third and fourth years at a nursing college in Saudi Arabia. Students were asked to complete an online questionnaire on disaster nursing and disaster preparedness. A 96% response rate was obtained.

RESULTS

Most participating students had a favourable attitude towards disaster preparedness. They also perceived themselves as having a relatively high degree of competence in disaster nursing. However, most participants had inadequate knowledge of disaster nursing and may not have been fully aware of their role in disaster relief operations.

CONCLUSION

Enhancing nursing students' awareness of the importance of disaster preparedness and competence in disaster nursing can potentially save lives. Disaster nursing and disaster preparedness should be part of undergraduate nurse education curricula and nurse educators should develop innovative educational interventions on these topics.

United States nurses' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: A grounded theory

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to explore nurses' experiences and perceptions at selected United States (U.S.) healthcare sites during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic brought rapid changes to the healthcare community. While a few studies have examined the early pandemic experiences of nurses in China and Europe, nurses' experiences across the United States have remained relatively underexplored.

DESIGN

A qualitative study design was used.

METHODS

Using a constructivist grounded theory methodology and methods, we conducted eight focus groups across four hospital sites in the eastern, midwestern and western United States. Registered nurses with a minimum of six months' experience working in all clinical specialties were eligible. Forty-three nurses participated. Data were analysed iteratively using the constant comparative method. The COREQ guidelines supported the work and reporting of this study.

RESULTS

The nurses experiencing a pandemic (NEXPIC) grounded theory emerged positing associations between four interrelated themes: Challenges, Feelings, Coping and Ethics. Nurses reported Challenges associated with changes in the work environment, community and themselves. They expressed more negative than positive feelings. Nurses coped using self-care techniques, and teamwork within the healthcare organisation. Moral dilemmas, moral uncertainty, moral distress, moral injury and moral outrage were ethical issues associated with nurses' Challenges during the pandemic. Moral courage was associated with positive Coping.

CONCLUSIONS

Awareness of frontline nurses' complex and interrelated needs may help healthcare organisations protect their human resources. This new theory provides preliminary theoretical support for future research and interventions to address the needs of frontline nurses.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Nurses face added distress as frontline at-risk caregivers. Interventions to promote nurses' ability to cope with personal and professional challenges from the pandemic and address ethical issues are needed to protect the nursing workforce. This study offers a new substantive theory that may be used to underpin future interventions.

Knowledge Mapping Analysis of Public Health Emergency Management Research Based on Web of Science

At present, major public health emergencies frequently occur worldwide, and it is of great significance to analyze the research status and latest developments in this field to improve the ability of public health emergency management in various countries. This paper took 5,143 related studies from 2007 to 2020 from the Web of Science as research object and used CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and other software to perform co-word analysis, social network analysis, and cluster analysis. The results and conclusions were as follows: (1) the related research identified three periods: the exploration, growth, and outbreak period; (2) chronologically: the relevant research evolved from medical and health care for major diseases to emergency management and risk assessment of public health emergencies and then researched the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pneumonia epidemic; (3) clustering analysis of high-frequency keywords, identifying three research hotspots: “disaster prevention and emergency medical services,” “outbreak and management of infectious diseases in Africa,” and “emergency management under the COVID-19 pneumonia epidemic.” Finally, this study combined the data and literature analysis to point out possible future research directions: from the research of the COVID-19 pneumonia epidemic to the research of general major public health emergencies, thinking and remodeling of the national public health emergency management system, and exploring the establishment of an efficient international emergency management cooperation mechanism.

A Cross-sectional Study About Nurses' and Physicians' Experience of Disaster Management Preparedness Throughout COVID-19

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess and compare nurses' and physicians' knowledge of disaster management preparedness. An effective health-care system response to various disasters is paramount, and nurses and physicians must be prepared with appropriate competencies to be able to manage the disaster events.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 636 nurses and 257 physicians were recruited from 1 hospital in Saudi Arabia. Of them, 608 (95.6%) nurses and 228 (83.2%) physicians completed self-administered, online questionnaires. The questionnaire assessed participants' sociodemographic data, and disaster management knowledge.

RESULTS

The findings revealed that participants had more knowledge regarding the disaster preparedness stage than mitigation and recovery stages. They also reported a need for advanced disaster training areas. A total of 10.1% of nurses' and 15.6% of physicians' overall knowledge is explained by their demographic and work-related characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

Both nurses and physicians had to some extent knowledge regarding the information and practices required for disaster management process. It is proposed that hospital managers must look for opportunities to effectively adopt national standards to manage disasters and include nurses and physicians in major-related learning activities because experience has suggested a somewhat low overall perceived competence in managing disaster situations.

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.

Nurses' disaster core competencies and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study from Turkey

AIM

Determining nurses' disaster core competency levels, comparing them based on characteristics, and examining the relationships with psychological resilience.

BACKGROUND

Since nurses constitute a critical part in the healthcare services, it is important to understand the competencies and effective factors in their disaster preparedness.

METHOD

The data were collected from 489 nurses between January and February 2021 with an introductory information form, Nurses' Perceptions of Disaster Core Competencies Scale, and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale.

RESULTS

Nurses' level of disaster core competencies was above the average, and it is positively correlated with their psychological resilience. Nurses' disaster experiences made higher significant differences on their disaster core competencies rather than their personal and professional characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

It is important to provide disaster training and drills to all nurses on a regular basis. However, under disaster conditions, resilience should also be taken into account and included in the preparation plans for nurses to apply their professional competencies and qualifications. Implications for nursing management Nurse managers should play a leadership role in planning disaster preparedness training for nurses, and these trainings should be addressed to cover both professional competencies and resilience for nurses to respond effectively to disasters.

Disaster preparedness and core competencies among emergency nurses: A cross-sectional study

Aim

With the rise in frequency and severity of disasters in recent decades, it is essentially important that nurses must be adequately prepared to handle them. This study was aimed to evaluate the levels of disaster core competencies and preparedness of nurses in the emergency department.

Design

A cross‐sectional survey design was used.

Methods

This cross‐sectional research was conducted from August 2020 to December 2020 among 271 nurses in the emergency departments of six hospitals in Qazvin, Iran. The participants completed the “Nurses Perceptions of Disaster Core Competencies Scale” (NPDCC) (45 items) and the disaster preparedness (a single‐item visual scale). Data were analysed by one‐way analysis of variance, independent t‐tests and multiple linear regression analysis.

Results

The mean scores of disaster preparedness and core competencies of nurses were 6.75 out of 10 (SD = 1.63) and 2.88 out of 5 (SD = 0.80), respectively. "Technical skills" (mean = 3.24, SD = 0.91) were the highest and "communication skills" (mean = 2.57, SD = 0.95) were the lowest across the subscales of the scale. A significant association was found between disaster core competencies and preparedness of nurses (p < .001). Regression analysis results indicated that nursing disaster core competencies were perceived betted by older nurses (B = −0.405) who had experience in the disaster stage (B = 0.228) and nurses with disaster response experience (B = 0.223) and lower professional experience (B = 0.309). Nurses with a postdiploma degree (B = −0.480) and bachelor's degree (B = −0.416) were perceived to have lower disaster core competency than nurses with a master's or PhD degree.

Conclusion

There are still gaps in disaster preparedness and core competencies for emergency nurses that need to be addressed. Nursing managers must support an improvement in nursing disaster core competencies. This may be done by conducting sessions for routine disaster scenarios and providing formal disaster preparedness training.

The Impact of Islamic-Based Disaster Response Competencies Program on Nurses: A Computer-based Training Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction:

Disasters have a significant impact on physical, psychological, psychosocial, and spiritual conditions. Indonesia, a predominately Muslim country, is a country of high vulnerability and risk for disasters. The nurses are frontliners and care providers need sufficient competencies in handling the survivors in health service centers. Local government regulations in the Aceh Province required Islamic-based health services.

Objective:

The study aims to identify the effectiveness of the Islamic-based disaster response competencies on nurses at the Banda Aceh Hospitals.

Methods:

A randomized controlled trial with a pre- and post-tests with a control group design was used in this study. The population was all nurses at three hospitals in four wards: emergency department, intensive care, medical, and surgical wards. The samples were selected using cluster random sampling and assigned into three groups: evidence = 50, Islamic = 49, and control = 48. Data were analyzed using parametric and non-parametric tests.

Results:

The results showed a significant increase in nurses’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes of disaster response in the evidence and Islamic groups with the mean and SD of the Islamic group in post-test 1 and 2 (knowledge = 15.9±2.9 and 15.8±2.9, skills = 19.0±1.4 and 18.9±1.4, attitude = 108.1±6.9 and 108.2±6.9) were higher than the evidence group (knowledge = 15.6±2.7 and 15.5±2.7, skills = 18.7±1.5 and 18.8±1.5, attitudes = 107.5±7.4 and 107.4±7.3) and the control group (knowledge=13.8±4.0 and 13.9±4.0, skills = 17.9±1.9 and 17.9±1.9, attitude = 104.5±8.8 and 104.6±8.8), respectively.

Conclusion:

The results indicate the Islamic group is more effective in increasing the disaster response competencies of nurses. This finding suggests the importance of developing regulations including policies, guidelines, emergency and disaster training, and public health services to support the implementation of an appropriate Islamic-based disaster nursing responses for hospitals in the Aceh Province and other regions with the implementation of Islamic law. Request number ANZCTR 378930

Factors affecting nurses' ability to provide effective care in a disaster response: a review

Disasters cause death, trauma, and psychological distress. Comprising the largest number of healthcare workers, nurses play a crucial role in reducing the impact of a disaster. The objective of this review is to identify the factors that influence nurses’ ability during a disaster emergency response to provide adequate care. This research was conducted by doing a literature search from the Pro-Quest and Science-Direct databases using the PRISMA-ScR to screen the articles. The final results included 13 articles. An analysis was performed to identify themes in line with the purpose of the review. All factors affecting nurses’ ability to respond to a disaster situation were classified into three themes: 1) factors increasing nurses’ ability, 2) barriers to delivering effective nursing care, and 3) support needed to maintain the nurses’ ability. During an emergency situation due to a disaster, adequate knowledge and skill to save lives, treat injuries, manage stress and coordinate between teams are the basic competencies needed for optimal care. Nurses’ clinical experience or previous disaster experience and training could increase nurses’ adaptability in disaster conditions. Support from nurses’ workplace and proper implementation of disaster management policy enhance nurses’ services and prevent barrier under disaster condition. The results emphasize that future training should aim for improving nurses’ knowledge and skills, including the knowledge of nurses’ family to protect themselves and deal with disasters. Such knowledge increased family preparedness, which is an important factor to enhance nurses’ willingness to work following a disaster.

Simulation in disaster nursing education: A scoping review

OBJECTIVES

Disasters are gradually increasing in type and frequency throughout the globe. Simulation is being used in disaster nursing teaching and training. The aim of this scoping review was to systematically map the extent and application of simulation in disaster nursing education.

DESIGN, DATA SOURCES AND METHODS

A scoping review was conducted using the model of Arksey and O'Malley as the methodological framework, extended by Levac. The following databases were systematically searched to identify relevant literature: PubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and PsychINFO from the launch of the databases to June 14, 2020, with a supplemental search on October 12, 2020. Two researchers independently screened the relevant articles selected and extracted the data.

RESULTS

Twenty-four studies were included in the scoping review. The research purpose varied widely. The 24 included studies examined nine disaster simulation scenarios. Eight types of simulation methods were identified, of which simulated patients and a mixed-simulation approach were the main methods. Only two studies used a randomized controlled trial design, and none of the rest studies were set up with control groups. Only 10 studies reported validated questionnaires with reliability tests being used. Debriefing was performed in 19 studies, and in 4 of those studies, the debriefing was structured. The reported outcomes were concentrated in Kirkpatrick's levels 1 (participants' satisfaction with the training experience) and 2 (whether participants actually benefited from the training).

CONCLUSION

This review found that simulation was well-recognised in disaster nursing education and training. However, insufficient designs and methods indicated that there was a lack of strong evidence, and high-level research on the application of simulation is needed in the field of disaster care.

Improving Disaster Readiness and the Response of Nurses in Saudi Arabia

INTRODUCTION

Nurses in Saudi Arabia face several challenges in all phases of disaster nursing, such as the infancy of the specialty and a lack of education, preparedness, research, and expertise in both the clinical field and in academics. Overcoming these challenges will help both nurses and the development of the specialty itself in aspects such as policies and procedures, education, and research. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore strategies for improving disaster nursing in Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study with a principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted to identify the factors affecting disaster nursing in Saudi Arabia. The sample of the study was Saudi Arabian nurses, as they are first-line responders in disasters and pandemics.

RESULTS

From 800 distributed questionnaires, 569 completed questionnaires were returned, for a response rate of 71%. The findings of the PCA revealed two components that can be extracted from the data. The first is preparedness, which involves 13 items related to the actions that must be taken before a disaster occurs, with a loading range of 0.82 to 0.70. The second factor is the action taken after a disaster occurs, and there are seven items with a loading range of 0.83 to 0.73.

CONCLUSION

For improved disaster nursing, it is essential to develop evaluation tools, create specific nursing legislation for disaster situations, provide personal protective equipment to nurses to minimize the risk of infection, and encourage nurses by appreciating their efforts to minimize their stress level during a disaster. It is also important to make sufficient supplies and equipment available to nurses during a disaster and provide them with psychological support while acknowledging the importance of contact with their families and friends.

Doubling Intensive Care Unit Capacity by Surging Onto Medical-Surgical Units During the COVID-19 Pandemic

INTRODUCTION

The ability of an organization to accommodate a large influx of patients during a prolonged period is dependent on surge capacity. The aim of this article is to describe the surge experience with space, supplies, and staff training in response to COVID-19 and provide guidance to other organizations.

BACKGROUND

A hospital's response to a large-scale event is greatly impacted by the ability to surge and, depending on the type of threat, to maintain a sustained response. To identify surge capacity, an organization must first consider the type of event to appropriately plan resources.

PREPARATION PROCESS

An epidemic surge drill, conducted in 2012, served as a guide in planning for the COVID-19 pandemic. The principles of crisis standards of care and a hospital incident command structure were used to clearly define roles, open lines of communication, and inform our surge plan. Preparation began by collaborating with multidisciplinary groups to acquire the most appropriate space, as well as adequate supplies, and identify and train staff.

IMPLEMENTATION

Teams were formed to identify the necessary resources to expand the intensive care unit (ICU) environment quickly and efficiently. Educational training was developed for redeployed staff.

OUTCOMES

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center experienced the largest surge of ICU patients within a hospital system in the state of Massachusetts. The ICU capacity was expanded by 93% from 77 to 149 beds, and the surge was maintained for approximately 9 weeks. Shadowing experiences before the actual surge were extremely valuable.

CONCLUSIONS

Planning for the surge of critically ill patients required a thoughtful, collaborative approach. Ongoing staff support and communication from nursing leadership were necessary to ensure safe, effective care for critically ill patients in a new and dynamic environment.

Hospice Emergency Planning and COVID-19

Objectives: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requirements for Emergency Preparedness Planning (EPP) by hospice organizations significantly increased in 2017. This study seeks to assess the involvement of various hospice personnel in EPP before and since the onset of the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A link to an anonymous online survey was sent to members of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, targeting members involved in hospice care in the United States. A descriptive analysis of the data was performed. Results: Prior to the pandemic, 39.8% of respondents were "moderately" or "very" involved with the development and revisions of the Emergency Preparedness Plan. Since the beginning of the pandemic, this increased to 59%, which largely occurred among physicians. Clinical Nurse and Nurse Practitioner involvement in development/revisions remained low. Approximately 30% of respondents desired more involvement across the areas of EPP. Conclusion: The involvement of personnel of various disciplines is varied and the involvement of physicians appears to have increased with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. A notable portion of personnel desired more involvement across all aspects of EPP. More research is needed in this important but little-understood area.

Nurses' core disaster-response competencies for combating COVID-19-A cross-sectional study

The core competencies in disaster nursing, nurses’ roles in disaster management and the potential barriers are assessed with a view to developing disaster nursing in Slovenia. Despite training and experience, many indicators show nurses are deficient in skills involving emergency and disaster-preparedness competencies. Nurses report little familiarity with disaster-planning skills, the implementation of disaster guidelines and assessment of patients subject to a disaster circumstance. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted based on data collected through an online survey. 118 registered nurses from different clinical settings in Slovenia participated in the study. Data were collected according to the Slovenian version of the Disaster Nursing Core Competencies Scale (Sl-DNCC-Scale). The scale was limited to a 7-point Likert response format (from 1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree). The results show the registered nurses perceive the core competencies of disaster nursing to be important to their preparedness for disaster situations (median = 161; range 74–189). Registered nurses who work in nursing homes and nurse managers are more aware of the importance of acquiring the listed competencies for unexpected events (p = 0.011 and 0.060 respectively) and the importance of their active role in disaster management (p = 0.027 and p = 0.004, respectively). To effectively deal with a disaster, nurses must be well prepared for unexpected events and more actively involved in disaster management. This study demonstrates that nurses regard the core disaster nursing competencies as important and greatly needed in various healthcare facilities. Future studies in this area should focus on ways to implement these competencies in nursing education.

Identify the Disaster Nursing Training and Education Needs for Nurses in Taif City, Saudi Arabia

Introduction

Nursing is considered the healthcare profession with the most members. Emergency nurses constitute the first line of treatment in healthcare facilities when catastrophic events bring disaster victims in need of medical attention. Therefore, these nurses must be well educated and trained efficiently to be able to deal with disastrous situations properly. This study aimed to distinguish the most important elements of education and training for preparing emergency nurses to face disasters in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), specifically, the city of Taif.

Methods

This study employed a tool to measure nurses’ most important training and education needs that was created by the authors based on a literature review and was approved by an expert panel in disaster nursing. Questionnaires were distributed to emergency nurses in four hospitals run by the Ministry of Health in Taif city. Survey responses were received from 210 participants, and the data were analyzed using a principal component analysis (PCA). A one-way ANOVA was used to determine the differences between groups according to their experiences.

Results

The following three factors were extracted from the data after redundant items were loaded and excluded: incident management systems (IMSs), disaster triage, and disaster drills. Nurses with less than three years of experience have a significant need to learn about these elements in order to be able to cope with disasters.

Conclusion

Understanding different types of disasters and how to deal with these catastrophic events is crucial. Significant differences existed between ED nurses in their understanding of the basic elements of disaster management based on their level of experience in an ED. Therefore, disaster education must be included in nursing curricula, and more training courses, mock drills, and simulations must be conducted in hospitals for nurses, especially nurses with less experience, so they can learn to manage their responsibilities during disasters.

Nurses' core emergency competencies for COVID-19 in China: A cross-sectional study

Aim

To investigate nurses’ core emergency competencies for handling the coronavirus disease‐19 (COVID‐19) and analyse the factors associated with those competencies.

Background

COVID‐19 has become a major global public health event. Nursing staff have played an important role in COVID‐19 prevention and control. Understanding their emergency competencies for handling COVID‐19, and the potential disadvantages will help governments to develop targeted training policies and improve nurses’ capacities in relation to pandemics and emergency preparedness.

Introduction

COVID‐19 is a disastrous infectious disease, but the competencies of nurses in China to handle COVID‐19 have not been well documented.

Methods

We conducted a cross‐sectional survey on nurses from 22 provinces of China in February 2020. The scores of self‐report questionnaires were used to analyse their competencies for core emergency care, and linear regression analysis was used to explore influential factors.

Results

A total of 2570 nurses participated. The study revealed that nurses had a good grasp of COVID‐19 knowledge, but the majority of nurses lacked experience in isolation ward work and emergency training. We found that age, professional title, work department, major work content, total work time, disaster rescue history, emergency training and infectious disease training were associated with core emergency competencies.

Conclusions

Chinese nurses were qualified for handling COVID‐19 but still need to strengthen the accumulation of practical experience.

Implications for nursing

Nurses should actively participate in emergencies to strengthen their operational capacity, whether in training or actual practice.

Implications for nursing/health policy

Managers should improve relevant policies to ensure that nurses have more opportunities to participate in the practical training of health emergencies and explore effective training methods to improve the ability of nurses to respond to these.

"Expecting the Unexpected:" Nurses' Response and Preparedness of Terrorism-Related Disaster Events in Quetta City, Pakistan

Background: In addition to the psychiatric and societal misery, terrorism places an exceptional burden while delivering healthcare services. Accordingly, a responsive and well-prepared healthcare system ensures effective management of terrorism-related events. Within this context, with a strong historic grounding in addressing situations of societal crisis nurses are well-placed in contributing to the global arena of humanitarian policy and social research. Therefore, assessing their response and preparedness is vital in effective management of a terrorism-related disaster. For that very reason, we aimed to evaluate nurses' preparedness and response toward terrorism-related disaster events in Quetta city, Pakistan. Methods: A qualitative design was adopted to explore nurses' response and preparedness of terrorism-related disaster events. By using a semi-structured interview guide through the phenomenology-based approach, in-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted. Nurses practicing at the Trauma Center of Sandeman Provincial Hospital (SPH), Quetta, were approached for the study. All interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and were then analyzed for thematic contents by the standard content analysis framework. Results: Fifteen nurses were interviewed and thematic content analysis revealed five themes. All nurses have experienced, responded to, and managed terrorism-related disaster events. They were prepared both professionally and psychologically in dealing with a terrorism-related disaster. Among limitations, space and workforce were highlighted by almost all the respondents. Lack of disaster-related curricula, absence of a protocol, recurrence of the disaster, and hostile behavior of victim's attendants during an emergency were highlighted as a key barrier toward terrorism-related disaster management. Conclusion: The skills and expertise needed to address a terrorism-related disaster are well-understood by the nurses but are lacking for various reasons. In addition to the review and adaption of the nursing curriculum specifically for terrorism-related disaster management, collaboration and dialogue between various stakeholders is required to efficiently manage terrorism-related disaster events.

The impact of personal protective equipment and social distancing on communication and relation between nurses, caregivers and children: a descriptive qualitative study in a maternal and child health hospital

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The main objective was to explore the impact of personal protective equipment and social distancing on nurses, caregivers and children's communication and relationship in a maternal and child health hospital.

BACKGROUND

The spread of COVID-19 pandemic made it necessary to apply infection prevention and control measures, including interpersonal distancing and the use of personal protective equipment. These measures may impact communication and relationship between nurses, patients and caregivers especially in a complex environment, such as a paediatric setting.

DESIGN

A qualitative descriptive study design was adopted. Reporting followed the COREQ guidelines.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews were conducted in two wards of a maternal and child health hospital in north-east Italy. Data were collected between September and November 2020. Transcripts were analysed using inductive content analysis.

RESULTS

Seventeen caregivers and 17 nurses were recruited using convenience sampling. Three themes were identified, namely: "Impact on a trustworthy relationship"; "Impact on common communication resources"; and "Strategies to overcome barriers". Participants agreed Covid-19 infection prevention and control measures impacted key elements of family-centred and compassionate care. Communication strategies and play were critical to overcoming the barriers encountered.

CONCLUSIONS

COVID-19 containment measures impact communication and family-centred care in paediatric hospital settings. There is a need for stakeholders to consider family needs in interventions aimed at controlling pandemics' impact.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

While COVID-19 pandemic urgency intensified the use of PPE and social distancing, strategies to overcome issues related to family-centred care should be considered in those wards such as oncology or infectious disease paediatric departments where these measures are continuously adopted. Beyond a greater communication awareness, strategies may comprise the implementation of virtual care to guarantee support, continuity of care and information between the child, the healthcare team and the family members that are not admitted to the hospital for safety reasons.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool© (DPET) on Emergency Nurses in Mainland China: Two Cross-Sectional Studies

BACKGROUND

Emergency nurses play a major role in disaster relief in mainland China, but there is no valid instrument to measure the extent of their disaster preparedness. The Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool© is a reliable instrument to assess the disaster preparedness of nurse practitioners. The tool has been translated and validated in Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, China and the United States of America.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed at translating and adapting the Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool© (DPET) for emergency nurses in mainland China and determining its psychometric properties.

DESIGN, SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS

A total of 2 cross-sectional online surveys were conducted in the emergency departments of 26 public grade III-A hospitals in Guangdong, mainland China. In the first study, 633 emergency nurses were recruited from May to August, 2018. In the second study, 205 were recruited in April 2019.

METHODS

The instrument was adapted through rigorous forward-backward translation, face validity, and pre-test processes. Exploratory factor and parallel analyses were used in the first study. Confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency and split-half reliability were used in the second study.

RESULTS

Exploratory factor and parallel analyses extracted a 5-factor solution comprising of 34 items that accounted for 64.06% of the total variance. The fit indices indicated a good model fit. The reliability was good, as indicated by a Cronbach's alpha of 0.97 and a split-half reliability coefficient of 0.97.

CONCLUSION

The mainland China version of the DPET (DPET-MC) was a reliable and valid instrument and can be used in practice.

Unique factors to the implementation of a disaster preparedness plan at Georgetown Public Hospital in Guyana

ABSTRACT

Disaster planning in developing countries is largely ineffective despite these countries being more likely to suffer from catastrophic events. This article aims to identify strengths, educational needs, practice improvement opportunities, and local factors that may contribute to the development/implementation of a disaster preparedness plan at Georgetown Public Hospital in Guyana.

Effects of social support on mental health outcomes in disasters: A cross-sectional study

This study examined the mediating effects of social support on the association between disaster distress and mental health outcomes. We analyzed the data of 1006 participants with either direct or indirect exposure to one or more disasters. Disaster distress, social support, depression, and anxiety were significantly correlated. Multiple regression and mediation analyses with bootstrapping showed that social support was a partial mediator between disaster distress and depression, and between disaster distress and trait anxiety. It was a complete mediator between disaster distress and state anxiety. The results suggest that enhancing social support may reduce the negative effects of disaster distress on depression and anxiety. Therefore, comprehensive interventions incorporating disaster distress management and enhanced social support are essential in national disaster management policies and psychiatric and mental health nursing services for individuals who have experienced disasters.

Islamic-based Disaster Response Competencies: Perceptions, Roles and Barriers Perceived by Nurses in Aceh, Indonesia

Introduction:

Indonesia, being a part of the Pacific “ring of fire,” is prone to disasters. Several disasters occurred from 2004 to 2019, which resulted in the loss of many lives. These disasters impacted the physical, psychological, psychosocial, and spiritual conditions of survivors. Nurses are the frontline care providers who need adequate competencies to respond to disasters.

Objective:

This study aimed to explore the nurses’ perception of disaster, roles, barriers, and Islamic-based nurses’ competencies in managing psychological, psychosocial, and spiritual problems due to disasters in hospital settings.

Methods:

This is a qualitative study conducted in three large referral hospitals in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Focus group discussion was conducted on 24 nurses from three hospitals using the discussion guide consisting of five open-ended questions. The data was analyzed through inductive content analysis.

Results:

The study found four themes of Islamic nurses’ competencies in disaster response: 1) perception about the disaster is influenced by religiosity, belief, and values, 2) communication skills, 3) nurses’ roles in disaster response consisted of disaster competencies (the use of Islamic values in managing patients’ conditions, and family engagement, 4) competency barriers consisted of inadequate training, insufficient Islamic-based services, and inadequate involvement of policymakers. This study explored Islamic nurses’ competencies in disaster response related perceptions about the disaster, nurses’ roles, and barriers. The limitation and future of the study were also discussed.

Conclusion:

Perceptions, roles, and barriers in disaster response might influence the development of the Islamic-based nurses’ competencies in care delivery.

Factors Affecting the Decontamination Process in Hospitals in Saudi Arabia

Introduction

Hospitals face various types of disasters that require either decontamination or disinfection interventions. These contaminants can be chemical, biological, radioactive, or infectious, such as COVID-19. Further, there are few studies in the literature on factors affecting decontamination in hospitals in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

Approximately 157 healthcare providers (doctors, nurses, and other specialists) participated in this study. Principle component analysis was used to explore three factors in Saudi Arabia that affect the ability of healthcare providers to decontaminate appropriately.

Results

Three factors were extracted: (1) having adequate skills to perform decontamination, (2) being adequately prepared for decontamination before a disaster occurs, and (3) organizational barriers to decontamination. There was a positive correlation between the skills and preparedness and a negative correlation between barriers and both skills and preparedness.

Discussion

It is essential to prepare for decontamination during disasters more effectively and to ensure that all healthcare providers have the requisite skills. Moreover, barriers to decontamination must be investigated thoroughly to improve implementation.

Cohort research analysis of disaster experience, preparedness, and competency-based training among nurses

Introduction

It is expected that in unforeseen situations, nurses will provide appropriate medical interventions, using their expertise and skills to reduce the risks associated with the consequences of disasters. Consequently, it is crucial that they are properly prepared to respond to such difficult circumstances. This study aimed to identify the factors influencing the basic competences of nurses in disasters.

Materials and methods

The survey was directed to 468 nurses from all medical centres in Lublin. IBM SPSS Statistics version 23 was used for statistical analyses, frequency analysis, basic descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis. The classical statistical significance level was adopted as α = 0.05.

Results

Based on the logistic regression analysis, it was found that work experience, workplace preparedness, as well as training and experience in disaster response are important predictors of preparedness.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that the nurses' core competencies for these incidents can be improved through education and training programmes which increase their preparedness for disasters. Nurses are among the most important groups of healthcare professionals facing a disaster and should be involved in all phases of disaster management, such as risk assessment and pre-disaster planning, response during crisis situations and risks’ mitigation throughout the reconstruction period.

Challenges for Nurses in Disaster Management: A Scoping Review

To reduce the impact of disasters, healthcare providers, especially nurses, need to be prepared to respond immediately. However, nurses face several challenges in all phases of disaster management. The findings of a literature review based on scoping approaches, which utilized the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, indicated that the major barriers facing nurses include the following: (1) disaster nursing is a new specialty; (2) inadequate level of preparedness; (3) poor formal education; (4) lack of research; (5) ethical and legal issues; and (6) issues related to nurses’ roles in disasters. Educators, researchers, and stakeholders need to make efforts to tackle these issues and improve disaster nursing.