Leadership in a time of disaster: being prepared for new age threats

Assessment of Hospital Management and Surge Capacity in Disasters

BACKGROUND

Hospital administrators play a key role in the effective management of surge capacity in disasters, but there is little information available about the characteristics required to manage this.

OBJECTIVES

In this study, we aimed to identify characteristics of hospital administrators that are important in the effective management of surge capacity in disasters.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a qualitative study. Semi-structured purposive interviews were conducted with 28 hospital administrators who had experience working in surge situations in hospitals during disasters. Framework analysis was used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Three themes and 12 subthemes were identified. The themes were as follows: 1) crisis managerial characteristics, 2) personal characteristics, and 3) specific requirements.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, some characteristics that had a positive impact on the success of a manager in a hospital surge situation were identified. These characteristics ought to be taken into account when appointing hospital administrators and designing training programs for hospital administrators with the aim of being better prepared to face disasters.

What are the research needs for the field of disaster nursing? An international Delphi study

BACKGROUND

Internationally there is an increasing amount of peer-reviewed literature pertaining to disaster nursing. The literature includes personal anecdotes, reflections, and accounts of single case studies. Furthermore, issues such as the willingness of nurses to assist in disasters, the role of nurses in disasters, leadership, competencies, and educational preparedness for nurses have been the focus of the literature.

AIM

The aim of this research was to determine the international research priorities for disaster nursing.

METHOD

This research used a three-round Delphi technique. The first round used a face-to-face workshop to generate research statements with nursing members of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM). The second and third rounds included the ranking of statements on a 5-point Likert scale with nursing members of WADEM and the World Society of Disaster Nursing (WSDN). Statements that achieved a mean of four or greater were considered a priority and progressed.

RESULTS

Participants were from multiple countries. Research statements were generated in the areas of: education, training, and curriculum; psychosocial; strategy, relationship, and networking; and clinical practice. Psychosocial aspects of disaster nursing ranked the highest, with five statements appearing in the top ten research areas, followed by statements relating to: education, training, and curriculum; clinical practice; and finally, strategy, relationship, and networking.

CONCLUSIONS

Future disaster nursing research should focus on the area of psychosocial aspects of disaster nursing, in particular, both the psychosocial needs of a disaster-affected community and the psychosocial wellbeing of nurses who assist in disaster health activities.