Disaster preparedness among nurses: a systematic review of literature

Learner Perception of Disaster Simulation Modalities: A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND

Both simulation and tabletop exercises are used in disaster training, but the efficacy of one approach versus the other is lacking.

PURPOSE

This pilot study explored the satisfaction, confidence, and perception of effectiveness among nursing students regarding 2 disaster preparedness training methods: simulation and tabletop exercises.

METHODS

A comparative quasi-experimental design assessed the effectiveness of 2 simulation experiences. Validated effectiveness and confidence survey tools were completed by 126 self-selected senior prelicensure baccalaureate nursing students after the completion of simulation experiences.

RESULTS

Tabletop exercises may be more effective to build confidence and understand pathophysiology. Full-scale simulations may be more effective in facilitating participant expression of feelings and providing a constructive evaluation of the simulation.

CONCLUSIONS

Variability among facilitators may have impacted the results of this pilot project. Further research is needed to enhance understanding of the effectiveness of tabletop and full-scale simulations for disaster preparedness in nursing education.

Disaster preparedness perceptions and psychological first-aid competencies of psychiatric nurses

AIM

This study aimed to determine the disaster preparedness perceptions and psychological first-aid competencies of psychiatric nurses.

BACKGROUND

Nurses must recognize the risks before a disaster occurs and have an action plan for providing effective physical and psychological care to patients and other affected individuals during and after the disaster. It is especially important for psychiatric nurses caring for a high-risk group, such as psychiatric patients, to be prepared for disasters and be able to support patients by recognizing the psychological reactions that may occur after a disaster and managing their care accordingly.

METHODS

For this cross-sectional and correlational study, data on 122 nurses were collected using a personal information form, the preparedness perception scale of disaster in nurses, and the psychological first-aid application self-efficacy scale.

RESULTS

The mean score for the participants' perception of overall disaster preparedness was 76.70 ± 8.30, the mean score for the preparation stage was 27.02 ± 2.82, the mean score for the intervention stage was 30.40 ± 5.15, the mean score for the post-disaster stage was 19.27 ± 2.88, and the mean score for psychological first-aid application self-efficacy was 140.28 ± 19.17.

CONCLUSION

The findings showed that psychiatric nurses were above the medium level in terms of disaster preparedness perceptions and psychological first-aid application self-efficacy.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY

It is important for nurses caring for high-risk groups, such as psychiatric patients, to be aware of disaster preparedness, to recognize psychological reactions that may be observed after a disaster, and to be aware of psychological first-aid practices that can be used to intervene in a disaster.

The competence of nurses caring for COVID-19 patients regarding disaster management: Structural equation modeling of knowledge, attitude, and performance

Background

The outbreak of COVID-19 as a global disaster has required nurses, as front-line providers of safe and quality care to patients with this disease, for proper disaster management to have a high level of competence, which demands an acceptable level of knowledge, attitude, and performance. Therefore, this study was conducted to model the relationship between knowledge, attitude, and performance with the competence of nurses caring for patients with COVID-19 regarding disaster management.

Methods

This descriptive-correlational study was conducted on 291 hospital nurses using the structural equation modeling approach in three provinces of Iran, including Kerman, Hormozgan, and Fars, from June to December 2021. Data were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire that provided information on demographics, knowledge, attitude, performance, and competence regarding disaster management. Data analysis, which included descriptive and inferential statistics, was performed using SPSS and AMOS software. Moreover, the structural equation modeling method was based on the covariance to examine the proposed model of the relationship between knowledge, attitude, and performance with nurses' competence.

Results

The study revealed that the nurses had average knowledge, acceptable attitudes, high performance, and acceptable competence scores. A positive and significant relationship was found between knowledge, attitude, and performance with nurses' competencies (P < 00.05). Furthermore, the coefficient of determination of nurses' competence in the modified structural model indicates that exogenous variables, namely knowledge, attitude, and performance, could predict 36 % of the changes in nurses' competence. Finally, the path coefficient of the effect of knowledge, attitude, and performance on nurses' competence was higher than 1.96.

Conclusions

According to the study, although the knowledge, attitude, performance, and competence of nurses caring for patients with COVID-19 were at an acceptable level, there were obstacles to improving their competence. Hence, identifying and prioritizing educational needs and learning preferences based on their cultural backgrounds are also emphasized.

Overcoming challenges in nursing disaster preparedness and response: an umbrella review

Disaster nursing plays a vital role in addressing the health needs of vulnerable populations affected by large scale emergencies. However, disaster nursing faces numerous challenges, including preparedness, logistics, education, ethics, recovery and legalities. To enhance healthcare system effectiveness during crises, it is essential to overcome these issues. This umbrella review, conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology, synthesizes data from 24 studies to identify key strategies for improving disaster nursing. The review highlights nine key themes: Education and Training, Research and Development, Policy and Organizational Support, Technological Advancements, Psychological Preparedness and Support, Assessment and Evaluation, Role-Specific Preparedness, Interprofessional Collaboration and Cultural Competence, and Ethics and Decision-Making. The review emphasizes the importance of education, technological advancements, psychological support, and interprofessional collaboration in bolstering disaster nursing preparedness and response efforts. These elements are crucial for enhancing patient outcomes during emergencies and contributing to a more resilient healthcare system. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights into the various aspects essential for enhancing disaster nursing. By implementing evidence-based strategies within these nine themes, the nursing profession can enhance its capacity to effectively manage and respond to the complex needs of disaster-affected populations, ultimately improving patient care and outcomes during emergencies.

Emergency medical service interventions and experiences during pandemics: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

The global impact of COVID-19 has been profound, with efforts to manage and contain the virus placing increased pressure on healthcare systems and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in particular. There has been no previous review of studies investigating EMS interventions or experiences during pandemics. The aim of this scoping review was to identify and present published quantitative and qualitative evidence of EMS pandemic interventions, and how this translates into practice.

METHODS

Six electronic databases were searched from inception to July 2022, supplemented with internet searches and forward and backward citation tracking from included studies and review articles. A narrative synthesis of all eligible quantitative studies was performed and structured around the aims, key findings, as well as intervention type and content, where appropriate. Data from the qualitative studies were also synthesised narratively and presented thematically, according to their main aims and key findings.

RESULTS

The search strategy identified a total of 22,599 citations and after removing duplicates and excluding citations based on title and abstract, and full text screening, 90 studies were included. The quantitative narrative synthesis included seven overarching themes, describing EMS pandemic preparedness plans and interventions implemented in response to pandemics. The qualitative data synthesis included five themes, detailing the EMS workers' experiences of providing care during pandemics, their needs and their suggestions for best practices moving forward.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite concerns for their own and their families' safety and the many challenges they are faced with, especially their knowledge, training, lack of appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and constant protocol changes, EMS personnel were willing and prepared to report for duty during pandemics. Participants also made recommendations for future outbreak response, which should be taken into consideration in order for EMS to cope with the current pandemic and to better prepare to respond to any future ones.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The review protocol was registered with the Open Science Framework (osf.io/2pcy7).

Emergency preparedness in the central sterile supply department: a multicenter cross-sectional survey

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the current situation of emergency preparation and emergency drill in the CSSD, and analyze its influence on the nurses' emergency attitude and ability.

METHODS

This study employed a multicenter stratified sampling method, conducted from January to June 2023 using the online survey, participants completed the general data, emergency preparedness and drill questionnaire, public health emergency response questionnaire and emergency capacity scale. An independent samples t test or Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyse differences in nurses' emergency capacity and attitudes.

RESULTS

The data from 15 provinces 55 hospitals in China. Overall, 77.58% of participants' institutions set up emergency management teams, 85.45% have an emergency plan and revise it regularly. 92.12% store emergency supplies. All survey staff participated in the emergency drill, which predominantly consisted of individual drills (51.52%), with 90.30% being real combat drills, 49.09% of participants engaging in drills every quarter, and 91.52% of the drill's participants exceeding 50%. The respondents' emergency attitude score was (29.346 ± 6.029), their emergency ability score was (63.594 ± 10.413), and those with rescue experience showed a more positive attitude (Z = -2.316, P = 0.021). Different titles, education levels, rescue experience and the frequency of emergency drill affected the emergency rescue ability of the respondents (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Most medical institutions establish emergency management systems and plans, yet the content lacks geographical specificity.The duration and participation of emergency drills are high, but the effectiveness of the drills needs to be further improved, and the response capacity and attitudes of CSSD nurses are low. It is recommended that agencies develop comprehensive and targeted contingency plans to strengthen the inspection and evaluation of team strength, equipment and safeguards against the contingency plans, so as to ensure that the measures mandated by the contingency plans can be implemented promptly after the emergency response is initiated.

Competency in responding to infectious disease outbreaks among nurses in primary healthcare institutions: a quantitative, cross-sectional multicentre study

Background

Nurses' competencies are crucial for infectious disease prevention and control. We aimed to investigate competencies in responding to infectious disease outbreaks of nurses in primary healthcare institutions and identify their training needs.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted from June to September 2022, recruiting nurses from primary healthcare institutions across Sichuan Province. Their competencies and training needs were assessed using a modified Emergency Response Competency Scale for Infectious Diseases. Additionally, their sociodemographic characteristics and experience in infectious disease outbreak trainings were collected. Univariate analyses were used to compare competencies and training needs by participant characteristics. Multiple linear regression was conducted to identify determinants of their competencies.

Results

A total of 1,439 nurses from 44 primary healthcare institutions participated in this study. The overall competency and training needs had a median of 3.6 (IQR [3.1, 4.0]) and 4.0 (IQR [3.9, 4.7]), respectively. Age (β = -0.074, p = 0.005), experience in higher authority hospitals (β = 0.057, p = 0.035), infectious disease outbreak trainings attended within the last 5 years (β = 0.212, p < 0.001), and regions where the institutions located were determinants of the competencies.

Conclusion

The competencies in responding to infectious disease outbreaks among nurses in primary healthcare institutions were at a moderate level, influenced by varied factors.

Exploring medical first responders' perceptions of mass casualty incident scenario training: a qualitative study on learning conditions and recommendations for improvement

OBJECTIVE

Despite participating in scenario training, many medical first responders (MFRs) perceive themselves as inadequately prepared to respond to mass casualty incidents (MCIs). The objective of this study was to conduct a comprehensive examination of traditional MCI scenario training methods, focusing on their inherent strengths and limitations. An investigation into the perceptions of MFRs who had participated in MCI scenario training was carried out to identify potential areas for improvement and provide recommendations for refining MCI training protocols.

DESIGN

Qualitative inductive approach using semistructured interviews that took place between October 2021 and February 2022. Data were analysed with qualitative content analysis.

SETTING

MCI scenario training involving four organisations (three emergency medical services and one search-and-rescue organisation) tasked with responding to MCIs, collectively representing four European Union countries.

PARTICIPANTS

27 MFRs (17 emergency medical services personnel and 10 search-and-rescue volunteers) were recruited to participate in the study.

RESULTS

Two categories and seven associated subcategories (shown in parentheses) were identified as influencing the learning outcomes for MFRs: Training in a context mirroring real-world incidents (conducting incident scene risk assessment, realistic representation in casualties, incorporating scenario variety into the curriculum, interagency collaboration, role alignment when training incident site management) and use of a pedagogical framework (allowing for mistakes, the importance of post-training evaluation).

CONCLUSIONS

This study reaffirms the value of traditional MCI scenario training and identifies areas for enhancement, advocating for realistic scenarios, interagency collaboration, improved incident site management skills and thorough post-training evaluation. It suggests a shift in MCI training conceptualisation and delivery. The potential of virtual reality technologies as a valuable addition to training methods is explored, with a note on the need for further research to ascertain the long-term effectiveness of these technologies. However, the selection of a training method should consider programme goals, target population and resources.

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.

Nurses' perceptions of the performance of nurse managers and senior hospital management during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

The first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on health systems and health professionals, due to the high number of cases and a lack of preparation. The aim of this study was to understand how nurses working in hospital units and in intensive care perceived the performance of nurse managers and senior hospital management during the first two waves of the pandemic.

METHODS

The phenomenological approach proposed by Giorgi was used to investigate perceptions of the performance of nurse managers and senior hospital management during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. Fourteen clinical nurses who worked on the front line in inpatient units or intensive care units of the Health Services of Extremadura and Madrid in the first (March-April 2020) and second (October-November 2020) waves of the COVID-19 pandemic participated in this study. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews, following a script of themes, in a theoretical sample of nurses who were worked during the pandemic.

RESULTS

Two main themes emerged from the analysis of the data: (1) perceptions about the performance of nurse managers and senior hospital managers during the first and second waves of the pandemic (health system failure; belief that senior hospital management professionals could have managed the pandemic better; recognizing the efforts of middle management (nursing supervisors); insufficient institutional support) and (2) strategies employed by nurses to compensate for the weaknesses in pandemic management.

CONCLUSIONS

The clinical nurses perceived that the nurse managers demonstrated better management of the pandemic than the hospital's senior management, which they attribute to their proximity, empathy, accessibility, and ability to mediate between them and the senior management. The nurses also believe that the senior management of the hospitals was to blame for organisational failures and the poor management of the pandemic.

Investigating perceived core disaster competencies of nurses in Iran: A case study of northwest hospitals

AIM

This study was carried out to investigate the perception of the main competencies of disaster management in Iranian emergency department nurses in 2023 in hospitals affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. The present study was conducted to explore the perceived core disaster competencies in nurses of hospitals affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in 2023.

BACKGROUND

Due to the rise in natural disasters, their escalating severity and associated regulatory response necessitate a closer look at the preparedness and core competencies of nursing personnel. The main competencies of nurses are necessary to deal with disasters in unexpected events, and they are expected to use their professional expertise to provide the required nursing services to reduce the risks caused by disasters.

METHODOLOGY

This descriptive-analytical study was conducted cross-sectionally between May and September 2023. In the study, a sample of 384 nurses working in the departments of four hospitals affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences was selected through a random stratification. The data collection instrument was a 45-item scale of nurses' perceived core competencies (NPDCC) in handling disasters. The data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U-test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and independent samples t-test. The significance level was set at 5%.

RESULTS

The mean total score of perceived core disaster competencies was 139.11 ± 37.65. The technical skills subscale got the highest score (51.81 ± 11.28) and critical thinking skills received the lowest (9.74 ± 3.92). Also, "technical skills" had the highest average and "critical thinking skills" had the lowest average in all three age groups. The results found a significant difference between the scores of nurses in perceived core disaster competencies in age groups, work environments, education degrees, marital statuses, and experiences of attending disaster workshops (p ≤ 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The results showed that nurses had different levels of core disaster competencies in the department. There are gaps in the core disaster nursing competencies that need to be filled. Nursing managers should consistently evaluate the core nursing competencies to achieve efficacious disaster preparedness. To this aim, it is recommended that authorities implement training courses and programs to enhance the preparedness of nurses in responding to disasters.

Experiences of intensive care nurses providing care to the victims of Kahramanmaraş earthquakes

BACKGROUND

Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 occurred in the Turkish province of Kahramanmaraş in 2023. The earthquakes resulted in serious losses of life and property in 11 provinces, and the injured were transferred to other provinces for treatment and care. To date, no studies on the experiences of intensive care nurses providing care to earthquake victims after the Kahramanmaraş earthquake sequence have been identified.

AIM

The aim of the present study is to explore the experiences of intensive care nurses providing care to earthquake victims who were transferred to other provinces.

STUDY DESIGN

A qualitative descriptive research design with conventional content analysis was used. Snowball sampling was used in the selection of intensive care nurses. Data saturation was achieved with 20 nurses. In-depth interviews were conducted with the participants through phone between March 8 and March 15, 2023. MAXQDA 20 software was used for data analysis. The COREQ checklist was used to guide the reporting of the study.

RESULTS

Twenty nurses were recruited. Four themes emerged from the data: challenges in caregiving processes; psychological challenges; ethical situations; urgent need for training and support.

CONCLUSIONS

After the Kahramanmaraş earthquake sequence, described by some as the disaster of the century, nurses encountered patients with unique needs that they had never encountered before and tried to cope with the constantly changing health conditions. For this reason, they were affected psychologically and experienced challenges in caregiving processes.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Conducting comprehensive training for diseases common among earthquake victims, developing new protocols for providing care to earthquake victims, developing more action plans for nurses, and psychologically supporting intensive care nurses would facilitate the caregiving processes.

Disaster preparedness among nurses in disaster-prone countries: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Disaster preparedness is crucial for mitigating the impact of disasters and saving lives. Ensuring preparedness for disaster response and management, particularly among nurses in disaster-prone countries, is essential due to the serious threats disasters pose to affected populations. This study was conducted to appraise and synthesize the literature examining preparedness for disaster management and response among nurses in countries with the highest disaster risks.

METHODS

A systematic review of the literature published from 2000 onwards was conducted using five databases: SCOPUS, PubMed, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, and CINAHL. Twenty-one relevant articles were identified for this review.

RESULTS

The findings revealed that nurses in countries at high risk of disasters had inadequate disaster knowledge and skills, leaving them ill-prepared to respond to such situations. Previous experience in disaster relief, disaster-related education and training, and higher academic qualifications were associated with increased readiness for disaster response and management.

CONCLUSION

The review's findings provide insight into the current state of disaster preparedness among nurses in disaster-prone nations. The review identified evidence highlighting the value of disaster-related education and training, as well as disaster response experience, in fostering preparedness among nurses. These results can inform policymakers, hospital administrators, and nurse administrators in developing strategies for promoting disaster preparedness in nurses through evidence-based training programs and interventions.

Composition and influencing factors of professionals' capacity in public health emergency rescues: a qualitative study

Objective

To explore the composition and influencing factors of professionals' capacity in public health emergency rescues.

Methods

A descriptive qualitative design was used in this study. Medical workers, managers, and members of an emergency rescue team in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, were recruited for participation through a purposive sampling method. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using a conventional content analysis method.

Findings

A total of 2 themes and 13 sub-themes emerged from the analysis: ability composition (knowledge reserve, early warning assessment, information reporting, emergency response, self-protection, personal ability, coordination and cooperation, health education) and influencing factors (educational background, region, experience, hospital level, human resources, and financial investment).

Conclusion

These findings offer a basis for the construction of a related indicator system and provide a reference for relevant departments to further optimize their emergency education and training, strengthen their emergency drills, and improve their emergency rescue abilities. The findings indicate that it is necessary to pay attention to the construction of an emergency rescue team, adjust the ratio of personnel, improve their remuneration, and promote work enthusiasm to improve the emergency rescue ability of an organization.

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.

An assessment of nurses' perceived and actual household emergency preparedness

Nurses' household preparedness is critical if they are to avoid role conflict and report for duty during an emergency. To date, the alignment between nurses' perceived and actual household preparedness remains under examined. Investigating one of these variables in isolation fails to consider that perceived and actual household preparedness must be high and aligned. If misaligned, vulnerabilities could surface during emergencies, like concerns about family safety, potentially impacting a nurse's commitment to duty during a crisis, or nurses may lack the actual preparedness to continue working long hours during an emergency. An online questionnaire was distributed to registered nurses in Ireland. The questionnaire was informed by a review of the literature and captured nurses' perceived and actual household preparedness, attitudes towards and exposure to a range of emergencies, and pertinent demographic characteristics. The results showed a relationship between how nurses view their household preparedness and their actual preparedness. Regression analyses indicate that while there is an overlap, the factors associated with how prepared nurses think they are and how prepared they are can differ. This means that strategies to boost actual preparedness may differ from those needed to boost perceived preparedness. This finding underscores the importance of psychosocial preparedness. Feeling prepared is crucial as it can influence how one responds in an emergency. Considering both the perceived and actual aspects of household preparedness can lead to a more effective response during emergencies.

Investigating Factors Influencing Disaster Preparedness Perception of Nurses in Turkey:A Meta-Analytic Approach

AIM AND BACKGROUND

In contemporary healthcare, the crucial importance of disaster preparedness and response within the nursing profession has gained recognition. Considering the elevated probability of encountering numerous disasters in Türkiye, it is noteworthy that limited research has been conducted in this domain. This study, therefore, aims to investigate the related factors to nurses' disaster preparedness Türkiye through a meta-analysis method.

METHODS

The study was conducted based on PRISMA guidelines. We searched the national databases in Türkiye and Web of Science Core Collection. Descriptive studies published in Turkish or English between 01.01.2000-31.12.2021 in Türkiye were included in the study to derive the pooled outputs.

RESULTS

A total of nine studies, encompassing a sample size of 3222 nurses, met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis' results revealed that gender and prior experience with disasters did not exhibit a statistically significant impact on nurses' disaster preparedness (p>0.05). Conversely, engaging in disaster education programs, familiarizing oneself with disaster plans, and actively participating in disaster drills were found to have a significant positive effect on nurses' preparedness for disasters (p<0.05). However, it is worth noting that the analysis of disaster experience exhibited substantial heterogeneity (I2=85.6%), indicating variations among the included studies. Similarly, the analysis related to reading disaster plans also demonstrated high heterogeneity (I2=77.7%).

CONCLUSION

Based on the available evidence from the meta-analysis, it can be concluded that receiving disaster education, reading disaster plans, and participating in disaster drills have a positive and significant impact on nurses' perception of disaster preparedness.

Nursing roles in disaster zones: Experiences and lessons from Turkey's 2023 earthquakes

BACKGROUND

Disasters affect human health and well-being globally. Nursing plays a vital role in disaster preparedness and response, ensuring efficient early care coordination and delivering effective field treatment.

AIM

This study investigates the challenges an Israeli humanitarian delegation encountered during their response to major earthquakes in Turkey in 2023. It explicitly focuses on difficulties in preparation, operations, and collaboration with local teams. The study further analyzes the findings and extracts valuable lessons from the mission.

METHODS

Using a qualitative descriptive design, 22 out of 32 nurses involved in delegation participated in three focus group discussions within two months of returning to Israel. The discussions were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. The study followed the COREQ guidelines, ensuring comprehensive reporting and methodological rigor in qualitative research.

FINDINGS

The study's main findings spanned predeparture preparation, mission challenges in the disaster zone, and postmission lessons, each highlighted by subthemes and participant quotations. A strong sense of mission was evident among the participants, along with frustration at inefficient time management prior to deployment. Many participants noted additional challenges, related to the difficulty of working in multiple languages and across cultures, and the opportunities for resolution. Finally, participants called for better psychological support following the mission.

CONCLUSION

Nurses in disaster zones offer valuable insights to enhance preparation, cross-cultural communication, and postmission implementation.

NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY IMPLICATIONS

Nurse managers and healthcare policymakers can utilize this study's findings to develop future nursing training programs in disaster-related skills. Additionally, it can help foster collaboration among international healthcare teams.

Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool (DPET): Adaptation and psychometric evaluation for nurses in Germany

Background: The Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool (DPET) with 47 items was developed to assess the disaster preparedness level among nurses in the USA. Aim: This study aimed (1) to adapt and validate the DPET for the nursing context in Germany and (2) to perform its psychometric evaluation. Methods: The DPET items were translated to German (DPET-GER). Adaptation was performed to identify irrelevant items and content validity was estimated using the scale-level content validity index (S-CVI) based on expert ratings. Psychometric evaluation was performed based on data from an online survey of 317 nurses. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) and factor structure were assessed with an exploratory factor analysis. Results: Ten items were unanimously rated as irrelevant by four experts and removed. Based on ratings by further seven experts, the content validity of DPET-GER was low for all 37 items (S-CVI of 0.53) or moderate for 19 items rated as relevant (S-CVI of 0.74). The internal consistency of DPET-GER was high (Cronbach's alpha of 0.94) and 37 items were reduced to five factors that explain 55% of variance in all items. Conclusions: The DPET-GER has acceptable psychometric properties (internal consistency and factor structure). However, low content validity indicates that further adaptation of the DPET-GER is required before it could be used to assess disaster preparedness among nurses in Germany. More research is also needed to contextualize the construct of disaster preparedness.

Operating room technologists' knowledge, attitude, and preparedness for disaster management of a Zahedan: Implications for nursing disaster education

BACKGROUND

During the occurrence of accidents and disasters, the role of hospitals and healthcare centers is very sensitive and they are among the first units that with their quick, optimal, and timely healthcare services provision can reduce mortality and increase the number of survivors. For this purpose, this study was conducted to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and level of preparedness of operating room technologists of educational hospitals of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences in relation to disasters.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

The present research is a cross-sectional descriptive study that was conducted with the participation of 60 operating room technologists of Zahedan educational hospitals from January 2022 to December 2022. The sampling was performed by the census method. The data collection tool was a demographic characteristic and a researcher-made questionnaire for the assessment of attitude, knowledge, and preparation against the occurrences of accidents and disasters was completed during 2 months by referring the researcher to the hospitals. For the data analysis, descriptive statistics and analytical statistical tests were used. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26. Corp., Armonk, NY, USA. The significance level was considered P < 0.05.

RESULTS

The results showed that the average scores of attitude, preparation, and knowledge are 9.3 ± 6.1, 75.8 ± 9.9, and 5.7 ± 4.1, respectively, and the majority of operating room technologists have a favorable level towards attitude and have relatively favorable level towards preparation and knowledge during the occurrence of disasters. The average score of knowledge and attitude of operating room technologists with work history had a significant difference from each other (P < 0.05). technologists with less work experience have more knowledge and a more positive attitudedisaster.

CONCLUSION

Measuring the level of knowledge, attitude, and preparedness of surgical technologists to deal with disasters as one of the ways of receiving feedback from employee training can be a useful reflection of the success of training programs in creating the necessary capabilities in various fields of disaster preparedness, and it can be a powerful tool for increasing individual and group dynamics and organizing individual learning in coping training. Furthermore, disaster education should be incorporated into the operating room curriculum, which would play a seminal role in preparing them for future disaster management. It is also suggested to investigate the impact of intelligent training on the level of knowledge, attitude, and preparation of operating room personnel regarding disasters and obstacles in this regard in future research.

Relationship between nurses' resilience and quality of professional life

AIM

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the resilience levels of nurses and qualit of their professional life.

BACKGROUND

Nurses' resilience level can affect their professional qualityof life. A higher resilience level enables them to manage stress and overcome challanges more effectively leading to enhanced patient care and satisfaction. Coversly, lower resiliance can lead to burnout, negatievly impacting both the nurses' wellbeing and the quality of service delivered to patients.

INTRODUCTION

It is crucial to understand the correlation between the professional life quality and resilience of nurses working in difficult conditions.

METHODS

This correlational study was conducted between September 2021 and February 2022. A total of 276 nurses were included in the study. Data were collected using the Demographic Data Form consisting of sociodemographic characteristics, the Professional Quality-of-Life Scale, and the Resilience Scale for Adults.

RESULTS

The resilience score was above average, and the professional quality of life was high. Compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue, which are components of professional quality of life, were moderate, and the burnout level was low. A robust positive correlation was observed between resilience and the professional quality of life. The linear regression model showed that choosing the profession unwillingly, dissatisfaction with the unit in which one works, and the level of psychological resilience are independent factors of professional quality of life.

CONCLUSION

According to the findings, high psychological resilience increases the quality of professional life. Resilience, choosing nursing willingly, and liking the unit in which one works are determinants of professional quality of life.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING POLICY

Enhancing the professional quality of life of nurses has important individual, institutional, and social consequences. Enhancing resilience has the potential to elevate the quality of professional life. Hence, it is important to develop national and international policies and models. Additionally, managers bear significant responsibilities in ensuring a positive work environment. Undoubtedly, having nurses work in units they like, feel happy in, and prefer will increase their professional quality of life and make positive contributions to patient care, the institution, and society.

Palliating Serious Illness During Disasters and Public Health Emergencies

ABSTRACT

The increase in disasters and public health emergencies in recent years is a serious public health concern. The needs of suffering victims can be multifaceted, particularly the needs of those who are from systematically marginalized populations. Palliative care nurses play a vital role in mitigating the suffering of those affected by these events. Despite the acute need, there is a lack of nurses who specialize in hospice and palliative care and generalist nurses are not sufficiently prepared to provide palliative care during disasters and public health emergencies. Nurses and nursing students should use national and global resources and training opportunities to hone their palliative care skills as well as learn self-care skills to increase their resiliency. Outcomes from research and collaborative efforts should be used to educate the future nursing workforce and advocate for equitable delivery of quality palliative care for all people who are affected by disasters and public health emergencies.

Nurses' challenges for disaster response: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Healthcare providers, particularly nurses, play a critical role in mitigating the impact of disasters on victims and the healthcare system. However, nurses face unique challenges in disasters that may not experience in their daily practice, which can make it harder for them to deal with disasters efficiently. This study aimed to investigate the challenges faced by nurses for disaster response.

METHODS

A qualitative content analysis approach was used in this study. Purposeful sampling was used to select 24 nurses working in the emergency departments of hospitals in Kerman, southeastern Iran. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using MAXQDA10. The conventional content analysis method proposed by Graneheim and Lundman was used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

The analysis of the findings resulted in one major category, insufficient ability of nurses to respond to disasters, and five subcategories: diverse nursing conditions during disasters, inappropriate interactive platform during disasters, the presence of obstacles to teamwork, lack of platform for nurses to acquire adequate disaster risk management competence, and moral tension in complex disaster situations.

CONCLUSIONS

Determining the challenges that nurses face during disasters is essential for improving disaster response efforts, promoting disaster preparedness, ensuring appropriate care for patients, and reducing emotional fatigue among nurses. Finally, nursing leaders, healthcare policymakers and governments should use these findings to better support the nursing workforce in disasters.

Development and Effect of a Simulation-Based Disaster Nursing Education Program for Nursing Students Using Standardized Patients

BACKGROUND

Disaster nursing deploys professional nursing knowledge and skills systematically to reduce disaster-related risks to life and health. Disaster nursing education requires providing simulations using standardized patients.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to develop, based on the International Council of Nurses' Framework of Disaster Nursing Competencies, a simulation-based disaster nursing education program for nursing students that employed standardized patients.

METHODS

A nonequivalent, control group, pretest-and-posttest design was used. Participants were senior nursing students from two universities, with 70 assigned to the experimental group, 35 assigned to the comparison group, and 35 assigned to the control group. Data were collected from January 25 to April 3, 2019. The simulation-based disaster nursing education program consisted of a 60-minute theoretical lecture on disaster management and two scenarios. The effectiveness of the simulation-based disaster nursing education program was measured using levels of disaster nursing competencies, disaster triage competency, disaster preparedness, critical thinking disposition, and confidence in disaster nursing.

RESULTS

Significant differences were found between the experimental and comparison/control groups in terms of disaster nursing competencies ( F = 20.06, p < .001), nursing triage ( F = 17.35, p < .001), disaster preparedness ( F = 60.37, p < .001), critical thinking disposition ( F = 19.63, p < .001), and confidence in disaster nursing ( F = 20.24, p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Simulation-based disaster nursing education programs using standardized patients can be useful in disaster nursing education. They can contribute to future changes in nursing education and practice by improving the disaster nursing capabilities and preparedness of students.

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.

The long-term impact of COVID-19 on nursing: An e-panel discussion from the International Network for Child and Family Centred Care

AIM

To explore the International Network for Child and Family Centred Care (INCFCC) members' experiences and views on the long-term impact of COVID-19 on the nursing workforce.

BACKGROUND

On the 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. While some countries adopted a herd immunity approach, others imposed stricter measures to reduce the transmission of the virus. Hospitals in some countries faced an avalanche of extremely sick admissions, whereas others experienced an early surge in cases or were able to control the spread.

DESIGN

Discursive paper.

METHODS

A web-based survey was e-mailed to 63 INCFCC members from 28 March to 30 April 2022, as an invitation to share their experience concerning the long-term impact of COVID-19 on their role as a nurse educator, clinician or researcher.

RESULTS

Sixteen members responded, and the responses were grouped under the themes stress and anxiety, safe staffing and pay, doing things differently, impact on research, impact on teaching and learning, impact on clinical practice, nursing made visible and lessons for the future.

CONCLUSION

The INCFCC members provided their views and highlighted the impact on their role in nursing education, administration, research and/or practice. This discussion of international perspectives on the similarities and differences imposed by COVID-19 found that the impact was wide-ranging and prolonged. The overarching theme revealed the resilience of the participating members in the face of COVID-19.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

This study highlights the importance of all areas of nursing, be it in academia or in clinical practice, to work together to learn from the present and to plan for the future. Future work should focus on supporting organizational and personal resiliency and effective interventions to support the nursing workforce both during a disaster and in the recovery phase. Nursing workforce resilience in the face of COVID-19.

A study on the types of disaster awareness in nursing students: Q methodology

BACKGROUND

Research for the development of nursing education strategies to enhance the competency of the nursing students on disaster safety are needed. This study aimed to identify the types of perceptions on disaster safety in nursing students, and to analyze and describe the characteristics of each type of disaster safety perception of nursing students in South Korea.

METHODS

An exploratory study design applying Q methodology, a research method designed to study subjectivity. Participants were 30 nursing students in their 20s who are living in C city. This P-set was selected to best reveal the disaster safety awareness of nursing students. Participants provided their subjective viewpoints by sorting 30 statements into a grid. Analyses involved correlation and factor analysis. The study was carried out from June to December, 2020.

RESULTS

In this study, four types of disaster safety awareness of nursing students were uncovered. The characteristics of each type were confirmed as follows: Type 1 was national responsibility, type 2 was individual responsibility, type 3 was preparedness-oriented, and type 4 was education-oriented.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that the types of perceptions on disaster safety in Korean nursing students were national responsibility, individual responsibility, preparedness-oriented, and education-oriented. The findings from this study can be implied as fundamental data in nursing education of disaster safety.

Anxiety, depression, and stress among nurses under the stress of flooding and the COVID-19 pandemic

AIM

This study investigated anxiety, depression, and stress and their influencing factors among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic and after the flood in Henan Province, China. It aimed to provide the theoretical foundation for the management of relevant hospital departments, improvement of nursing quality, implementation of antiepidemic work, and other relevant studies.

BACKGROUND

In December 2019, COVID-19 was reported in Wuhan, China and became a global pandemic. In July 2021, unprecedented flooding occurred in Henan Province, China. Under the dual pressure of COVID-19 and the flood, nurses' mental health problems deteriorated.

METHODS

In August 2021, 1229 nurses from various departments of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University in Xinxiang City, Henan Province,China were invited to participate in a questionnaire survey using a general condition questionnaire and the Chinese version of the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the status of nurses' anxiety, depression, and stress. Analysis of variance, t-test, and multiple linear regression models were used to analyze the factors influencing anxiety, depression, and stress among nurses.

RESULTS

Of the participants, 36.1%, 10.1%, and 15.5% had moderate to high levels of anxiety, stress, and depression, respectively. Moreover, 42 (3.4%) participants experienced high to severe levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. The scores showed significant differences based on gender, harmonious family relationships, department position, work intensity, sleep quality, physical exercise, participation in leisure activities, health status, involvement in emotion management-related training, and attending self-care-related training (all P < 0.05). Gender, work intensity, harmonious family relationships, health condition, sleep quality, and participation in leisure activities influenced stress, anxiety, and depression scores. Department position influenced anxiety and stress scores, and average monthly earnings influenced anxiety scores.

CONCLUSION

All the nurses experienced various levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Related departments should pay special attention to male nurses and nurses with high work intensity, unharmonious family relationships, poor health, and sleep quality, and who engage in fewer leisure activities.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY

It is recommended that departments allocate human resources and arrange schedules reasonably, encourage nurses to participate in more recreational activities, and implement emotion management and self-care-related training to relieve emotional distress, and ultimately maintain nurses' mental health.

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.

Disaster Preparedness of Nursing Students in Northern Cyprus: Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate disaster preparedness of undergraduate nursing students.

METHODS

This descriptive cross-sectional study included 302 voluntary nursing students from a university in Northern Cyprus. Data were collected through an online survey using Google Forms, which included a descriptive information form and the General Disaster Preparedness Belief Scale (GDPBS).

RESULTS

The mean age of the participants was 20.64 ± 2.02 years. Among the participants, 41.7% had prior experience with disasters, and 77.2% expressed a need for disaster education. The average GDPBS total score was high, and the mean score of the sub-dimensions was moderate. Nursing students who expressed a need for disaster education had higher scores on the severity and self-efficacy subscales of the GDPBS (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

The level of disease preparedness was moderate in nursing students in Northern Cyprus. Therefore, education based on the health belief model, which assumes that positive health behaviors are affected by knowledge and attitudes, may be useful to improve disaster preparedness in nursing students.

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.

Work anxiety factors, coronavirus anxiety and job satisfaction of Polish nurses facing COVID-19 pandemic outbreak

BACKGROUND

During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, as in past disasters and emergencies, nurses around the world play an important role. What is more, the unprecedented pressure exerted by the pandemic on healthcare systems in every country brings big challenges to nurses, which may affect their well-being, work efficacy and job satisfaction.

OBJECTIVE

The main objective of the presented studies was to describe anxiety factors related to the work of nurses during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic; to assess the intensity of coronavirus anxiety and job satisfaction experienced by nurses at that time; to assess predictors of job satisfaction of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic; to assess the differences in the intensity of job satisfaction and coronavirus anxiety depending on the selected variables related to their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DESIGN

Anonymous questionnaire surveys were conducted online among the participants between 23 June 2020 and 23 March 2022 in Poland.

PARTICIPANTS

433 nurses from 15 Polish provinces were included in the studies (age range 22-68; M = 41.63). Nursing seniority M = 18.6.

METHODS

The studies were based on: Satisfaction with Job Scale (SSP), Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), and a self-report structured questionnaire.

RESULTS

The most respondents indicated that they were afraid of becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2 (25.4 %), transmitting infection to the family (22.4 %), becoming sick with COVID-19 and experiencing health complications (6.7 %) and of excessive work responsibilities and physical fatigue (6.5 %). Based on the bivariate correlation, it can be concluded that job satisfaction of the respondents during the COVID-19 pandemic was on an average level (M = 19.9); coronavirus anxiety was on an average level (M = 4.9), and stress at work was on a high level (M = 7.1). Coronavirus anxiety did not constitute statistically significant predictors of job satisfaction of subjects studied during the pandemic (SE = 0,048; β = 0,05; p = 0.942).

CONCLUSIONS

Coronavirus anxiety wasn't associated with job satisfaction of nurses directly. Job satisfaction of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic was likely to be shaped by a range of different factors.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

In Polish nurses coronavirus anxiety was average and wasn't associated with their job satisfaction.

Determinants of nurses' readiness for disaster response: A cross-sectional study

Reducing the impacts of disasters is imperative in these times when disasters continually threaten people's lives. Given that the readiness for disaster response of nurses are essential in mitigating damage, however, studies on the determinants of nurses' readiness for disaster response remain inconclusive and require further research, especially with various populations. This study therefore aimed to investigate factors associated with readiness for disaster response among Taiwanese hospital nurses. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 365 eligible and registered nurses at a medical centre in northern Taiwan. The Readiness for Disaster Responses Scale including four subscales: personal preparedness, self-protection, emergency response, and clinical management were used for assessment. Analyses were performed using multiple linear regression models. Our study results showed that the length of nursing work was positively associated with nurses' readiness for disaster responses (β = 0.28, p < .001). Nurses with a master's degree and working in intensive care units or emergency rooms had higher readiness for disaster responses (β = 0.13, p = .032; β = 0.14, p = .024) than those with a bachelor's degree and working in other units/specialties (i.e., outpatient department, operating rooms, etc.). Furthermore, nurses with previous disaster training were associated with greater readiness for disaster responses (β = 0.24, p < .001). This study findings indicate that the identified determinants of hospital nurses' readiness for disaster responses can be taken into consideration in the future recruiting of nurses for deployment to disaster response assistance and the designing of disaster training programmes specifically for nurses.

Measuring COVID-19 related stress and its associated factors among the parents of school-aged children during the first lockdown in France

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic placed important challenges on parents, as they had to meet various demands during lockdown, including childcare, work and homeschooling. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate perceived stress levels among the parents of school-aged children and explore their association with sociodemographic, environmental and psychological factors during lockdown.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among the parents of school-aged children ages 8 to 18, who lived in the Grand Est region of France during the first wave of the pandemic. An online survey collected sociodemographic data, living and working conditions, and exposure to COVID-19 as well as parent's levels of perceived stress (PSS-10), self-perceived health status (SF-12), social support (MSPSS) and resilience (BRS). Multivariable logistic regression models were conducted to evaluate the association between moderate to severe perceived stress and various factors.

RESULTS

In total, 734 parents were included. The results indicated that 47% were experiencing moderate stress and 7.2% were experiencing severe stress. Factors most strongly associated with risk of moderate to severe levels of stress were lower levels of parental resilience (OR = 3.8, 95% CI: 2.2-6.6) and poor self-perceived mental health status (OR = 7.3, 95% CI: 5.0-10.8). The following risk factors were also identified: female sex; being in the age range of 35-44; difficulties isolating and contracting COVID-19, which involved hospitalization and separation or isolation from family. The support of friends (OR = 0.8, 95% CI: 0.7-1.0) and family (OR = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3-0.8) were protective factors.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that supportive and preventive programs should focus on the improvement of resilience and mental health management to promote parents' wellbeing. Research has to focus both on individuals' inner potential for increasing resilience and the environmental resources to be activated. Building and boosting resilience among parents could serve as a protective factor against negative outcomes for them and their families.

Social resilience and disaster resilience: A strategy in disaster management efforts based on big data analysis in Indonesian's twitter users

Disasters have various causes, disaster management efforts, and actors involved. A systematic big data analysis is needed to identify social resilience to determine the quality of the country's resilience on disasters. This study aims to (1) determine perceptions about the causes of disasters and (2) understand perceptions of disaster management efforts. (3) identify actors involved in disasters. (4) analyze the relationship between social resilience and disaster resilience using large data sources. (5) formulate a disaster management. The research was conducted by describing in detail from the opinions of the twitter user community about disasters using the text mining method. The data retrieval and analysis process was carried out using Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS) with MAXQDA series 2020, Gephi version 0.10.0 and SWOT analysis. The results of the study show: (1) Most of the perceptions of the causes of disasters are associated with religion; (2) Most of the perceptions about disaster management efforts are based on the application of disaster management at the recovery stage; and (3) The actors who are most involved in disaster management efforts are the security forces countries. (4) There is a strong relationship between social resilience and disaster resilience, as shown by each actor having a role in disaster management efforts. (5) There are nine formulations of development strategies in disaster management efforts. The limitation of this research is that it only uses big data from Twitter and social media sources. The implications of this research can be used as a reference for governments, organizations, communities, or others involved in disaster management efforts, especially in countries that have diversity and are prone to disasters.

Nurses' preparedness to respond to COVID-19 and associated factors after the outbreak in China

AIM

Nurses are key staff in the response to the COVID-19 epidemic. The aim of present study was to assess Chinese clinical nurses' preparedness levels for COVID-19 after the outbreak, as well as the associated demographic factors.

DESIGN

The design was a cross-sectional survey.

METHODS

We distributed an online questionnaire to nurses from five eastern coastal area hospitals. The questionnaire collected demographic information, and included the nurses' preparedness to respond to COVID-19 questionnaire (NPR COVID-19).

RESULTS

The total mean NPR COVID-19 score was 200.99 (standard deviation = 33.60), and the psychological approaches subscale had the lowest mean score. Education and training were positively associated with the NPR COVID-19 score. Nurses' characteristics, such as seniority, job category and educational level, were entered into the NPR COVID-19 regression model, and seniority (≤5 years) showed the strongest negative association with NPR COVID-19 scores (standard coefficient = -0.20).

CONCLUSIONS

Chinese nurse's preparedness to respond to COVID-19 was adequate. Nurses with less than 5 years of work experience, nursing researchers and diploma-educated nurses reported feeling a low preparedness to respond to COVID-19. These nurses should receive specific training.

Iranian nurses' perceptions of core competencies required for disaster risk management

BACKGROUND

With an increase in the incidence and severity of disasters, disaster risk management receives an important priority in the health system. Nurses at all levels of healthcare play an important role in disaster risk management and they must have core preparation and competencies to respond to disasters. This study aimed to evaluate Iranian nurses' core competencies required for disaster risk management.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 277 nurses working in three hospitals affiliated to Kerman University of Medical Sciences in 2022. The demographic information questionnaire and the nurses' perceptions of disaster core competencies scale (NPDCC) were used to collect data, and SPSS21 was used to analyze data.

RESULTS

Nurses' competencies in disaster risk management were favorable (3.67 ± 0.77), with the subscales of technical skills and special diagnostic skills receiving the highest (3.91 ± 0.65) and the lowest mean scores, respectively (3.46 ± 0.87). The results found a significant difference between the scores of nurses' competencies in disaster risk management in terms of education level, age, work experience, employment status, participation in training courses related to disaster risk management, work experience in incidents and disasters.

CONCLUSION

The study results suggested nurses' high level of competency in disaster risk management, but indicated gaps in their core competencies. The study results recommend authorities provide various training courses related to disaster risk management for all nurses.

Are Nurses Ready for a Disaster in Turkey? A Hospital Case

OBJECTIVE

In Turkey, which is a land of disasters, it is vital for nurses to be prepared before a disaster, and to exhibit an effective attitude and behavior during it. Having a large number of casualties during a disaster may cause inadequacies in receiving basic health care in the hospital.

METHODS

This study was conducted in a descriptive and cross-sectional style to determine the disaster preparedness and preparedness perceptions of nurses. Data were collected with the Personal Information Form and Nurses' Perception of Disaster Preparedness Scale (NPDPS).

RESULTS

Nurses' disaster experience, drill experience, and perusal of the disaster plan positively affected the perception of disaster. The disaster preparedness of the institution positively affected the perception of disaster preparation. A significant difference was determined between the requests for information regarding disaster education and NPDPS. A statistically significant relationship was found between terrorist attacks, earthquake exposure, and the total scale score of NPDPS.

CONCLUSIONS

Consequently, nurses and health institutions, whose responsibilities become graver in disasters, have duties such as providing treatment and medical support. Therefore, it was suggested that disaster nursing and disaster management should have been included in the in-service training of nurses.

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Training in Disaster Medicine Courses for Students in Nursing: A Scoping Review of Adoptable Tools

Nurses and paramedics play a pivotal role when mass casualty incidents (MCI) occur, yet they often feel unprepared for such events. Implementation strategies for training activities, including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) simulations, offer realistic and immersive learning experiences, enhancing skills and competencies for nursing students. The aim of this work was to investigate the adopted tools in studies on VR and AR simulations for training nursing and paramedic students in managing MCI. A scoping review was performed following the PRISMA-ScR statement, and the search strategy was conducted through five electronic databases from December 2022 to March 2023. Of 162 records identified, 27 full texts were screened and, six studies were included in this review. These studies involved students who were assigned to different training methods, including immersive VR simulation, written instruction, and traditional lecture. VR and AR and immersive simulation generally show promising evidence in enhancing practical skills and knowledge in MCI management. VR and AR showed to be promising in disaster education and preparedness training, offering different levels of immersiveness and engagement, encouraging active and experiential learning. Further research is needed to determine their long-term effectiveness. The choice of training method should consider program goals, target population, and available resources.

Impressions of the Nursing Profession Among Nursing Students and New Graduates During the First Wave of COVID-19: A Qualitative Content Analysis

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a defining event for the next generation of the nursing workforce. Complex pandemic practice environments have raised concerns for the preparation and support of novice nurses, even as a multitude of nurses leave the profession.

PURPOSE

Researchers sought to examine nursing students' and new graduate nurses' impressions of the nursing profession in contrasting regions of New York State during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Inductive content analysis was performed on narrative text responses (n = 295) drawn from a larger multisite mixed-methods survey.

RESULTS

Five subconcepts were abstracted, leading to the main concept of shocked moral distress .

CONCLUSION

Nursing students and new graduate nurses have experienced high levels of moral distress but remain committed to the profession. Building moral resilience, fostering ethical decision making, and implementing protective policies can reduce the incidence of moral distress.

Stress overload, influencing factors, and psychological experiences of nurse managers during early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic: a sequential explanatory mixed method study

Background

Healthcare systems had an exceptionally difficult time during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Nurse managers in particular made enormous contributions to ensuring the safety of patients and front-line nurses while being under excessive psychological stress. However, little is known about their experiences during this time.

Objective

The aim of this study was thus to assess the level of stress overload and psychological feelings of nurse managers during the early COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A mixed methods sequential explanatory design study with non-random convenience sampling was performed, following the STROBE and COREQ checklists. The study was conducted at the Affiliated Dongyang Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, with data collected from six provinces in southern China (Zhejiang, Hubei, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Hunan and Jiangxi) during March 2020 and June 2020. A total of 966 nurse managers completed the Stress Overload Scale and Work-Family Support Scale. In addition, a nested sample of nurse managers participated in semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The data were then analyzed using qualitative content analysis, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression.

Results

The quantitative results showed that nurse managers experienced a moderate level of stress load. There was a significant negative correlation between work-family support and stress load (r = -0.551, p < 0.01). Concerns about protecting front-line nurses and work-family support were the main factors affecting the stress load, which accounted for 34.0% of the total variation. Qualitative analysis identified four main thematic analyses that explained stress load: (1) great responsibility and great stress, (2) unprecedented stress-induced stress response, (3) invisible stress: the unknown was even more frightening, and (4) stress relief from love and support. Taken together these findings indicate that concern about protecting front-line nurses and negative work-family support of nurse managers were the main factors causing stress overload.

Conclusion

Implementing measures focused on individual psychological adjustment combined with community and family support and belongingness is one potential strategy to reduce psychological stress among nurse managers.

COVID-19-associated impact and post-traumatic stress symptoms 39 days after pandemic in a sample of home-quarantined Chinese college students: the mediating effecting of past stressful events, psychological resilience, and social support

BACKGROUND

During the COVID-19 outbreak, most Chinese college students were home-quarantined to prevent the spread of the virus. COVID-19-associated impact has been shown to be a risk factor for the development of post-traumatic symptoms disorder (PTSD). However, little is known about the psychological processes that mediate this association. This study investigated the association between COVID-19-associated impact and PTSD and examined whether past stressful events, psychological resilience, and social support have mediating effects on this association.

METHODS

The 12,397 valid responses from 31cities in China via an online survey assessed PTSD symptoms, past stressful events, psychological resilience, social support and social-demographic variables. AMOS was used to test the hypotheses of mediating effects.

RESULTS

On the 39th day of the declared COVID-19 epidemic in China, 6.75% of the surveyed sample showed PTSD symptoms. A positive mediating effect of past stressful events was found between COVID-19-associated impact and PTSD, whereas psychological resilience and social support had negative mediating effects. The fit indices for the path model were found to be significant (β = 0.28, p < 0.001), COVID-19-associated impact indirectly affects the risk of PTSD through mediating pathways (past stressful events → psychological resilience → social support) on PTSD.

CONCLUSIONS

Attention should be paid to the effects of past stressful events of Chinese college students who were home-quarantined during the COVID-19 epidemic, and strategies should also be implemented to improve social support and develop psychological resilience.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Southwest Minzu University.

Evidence of Disaster Planning by Home Care Providers: An Integrative Literature Review

The increasing risk of disasters worldwide poses challenges both to health care infrastructures and to home care providers, who must maintain decentralised services for those in need of long-term care for as long as possible, even under adverse circumstances. However, both the kind of organisational precautions that home care providers consider in preparation for disasters and the available evidence on the effectiveness of these precautions remain largely unclear. An integrative literature review was thus performed via a systematic search of several international databases in order to identify original research on organisational disaster planning by home care providers and to determine the evidence base of this research. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Of the 286 results, 12 articles met the inclusion criteria and presented results from nine studies on disaster planning. Three overarching types of activities carried out by home care providers were identified inductively. The overall scientific quality of the studies was moderate, and none investigated the effectiveness of disaster planning by home care providers. Despite the variety of possible activities that home care providers already consider, evidence on how to make organisational disaster planning effective and sustainable remains lacking.

Teaching disaster preparedness to pre-licensure students: A collaborative project during the pandemic

Readiness of nurses to respond to disasters has become paramount with the advent and sequelae of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Future of Nursing 2020-2030 report calls for nurses to be knowledgeable in preparing and responding to disaster management. In New Mexico, five associate degree nursing programs and three university nursing programs collaborated to develop a novel project in teaching disaster preparedness using COVID-19 as the disaster. Tabletop methodology via Zoom was used to simulate incident command centers in Zoom breakout rooms. Students were assigned roles to carry out during the four-hour event using resources from FEMA's Emergency Management Institute. Student and faculty post-surveys were completed with themes identified. Students appreciated collaborating with students from different schools, but also identified challenges with the event posed by remote learning. Students reported their "biggest takeaways" and identified action steps for improving future events; particularly, requesting more information to better understand their roles.

The 2023-2026 Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association Research Agenda

The Hospice and Palliative Nursing Association established the triannual research agenda to ( a ) provide focus for researchers to conduct meaningful scientific and quality improvement initiatives and inform evidence-based practice, ( b ) guide organizational funding, and ( c ) illustrate to other stakeholders the importance of nursing research foci. HPNA Research Agendas are developed to give direction for future research to continue advancing expert care in serious illness and ensure equitable delivery of hospice and palliative care.

Network analysis of affect, emotion regulation, psychological capital, and resilience among Chinese males during the late stage of the COVID-19 pandemic

Background

Previous studies have confirmed that both affect and emotion regulation strategies are closely associated with psychological capital (PsyCap) and resilience. These factors are assumed to buffer the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, especially among males. However, these interactions have not been closely examined to date. To fill this gap, this paper explores the dimension-level relationships of these psychological constructs among Chinese males during the late stage of the COVID-19 pandemic and identified critical bridge dimensions using network analysis.

Methods

A total of 1,490 Chinese males aged 21–51 years completed self-report scales assessing emotion regulation strategies, affect, PsyCap, and psychological resilience. Two regularized partial correlation networks, namely the affect and emotion regulation-PsyCap network and the affect and emotion regulation-psychological resilience network, were then constructed to examine links between the dimensions of these constructs. The bridge expected influence (BEI) index was also calculated for each node to identify important bridge nodes.

Results

Positive affect, negative affect, cognitive reappraisal, and expressive suppression showed distinct and complex links to various dimensions of PsyCap or psychological resilience. In both networks, positive affect, cognitive reappraisal, and negative affect were identified as critical bridge nodes, with the first two having positive BEI values and the third having a negative value.

Conclusion

The findings elucidate the specific role of the dimensions of emotion regulation or affect in relation to PsyCap and psychological resilience, which facilitates further understanding of the mechanisms underlying these interrelationships. These findings also provide implications for developing effective intervention strategies to increase PsyCap and psychological resilience.

A Qualitative Study on the Use of the Hospital Safety Index and the Formulation of Recommendations for Future Adaptations

The Hospital Safety Index is a tool developed by the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization in 2008 and updated in 2015. Although it is the most widely used instrument of its kind to assess the level of hospital preparedness, scientific literature on its application in real life is scarce. This study aimed to investigate the use of the Hospital Safety Index to assess disaster preparedness in healthcare facilities. A retrospective, qualitative study employing semi-structured online interviews was conducted to gather the opinions and perspectives of professionals who have experience in applying the Hospital Safety Index. Authors of scientific publications using the Hospital Safety Index were recruited. A semi-structured interview guide was developed. It addressed different phases of data collection with the Hospital Safety Index, the challenges and facilitators of using it, and recommendations for future adaptations. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Nine participants who were from three countries (Serbia, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia) and had different professional backgrounds (medical doctors, engineers, spatial planners, etc.) participated in this study. A total of 5 themes and 15 subthemes emerged during data analysis. Most of the participants reported their reasons for choosing the Hospital Safety Index as being its comprehensiveness and the fact that it was issued by the World Health Organization. The tool appears to be very specific and allows investigators to spot details in hospitals; however, it is not easy to use, and training is highly encouraged to learn how to navigate the different components of the tool. Governmental support is a crucial facilitator for investigators to be able to enter hospitals and conduct their evaluations. Overall, the tool has a lot of potential, and it should be used to reach a broader audience, such as community members, and assess the preparedness of other facilities that can take part in the response to disasters (hotels, stadiums, schools, etc.). Nevertheless, it still needs more adaptations to be tailored to different contexts and settings.

Validity and Reliability Study of the Turkish Adaptation of the Disaster Response Self- Efficacy Scale (DRSES)

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the 'Disaster Response Self-Efficacy Scale (DRSES).'

METHOD

This is a methodological study to validate the DRSES. Third and fourth grade nursing students participated in the study (n = 340). Construct validity was evaluated by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was assessed by internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Data were analyzed in SPSS 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) and IBM SPSS AMOS 21.0. (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA).

RESULTS

The content validity was 0.96, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.94, and the intraclass correlation coefficient for test-retest reliability was 0.95. The exploratory factor analysis revealed that 3 factors accounted for 59.4% of the explained variance. The factor loads ranged between 0.50 - 0.81. The construct validity was good (χ2/df = 2.54; RMSEA = 0.067; CFI = 0.93; NFI = 0.95; GFI = 0.93; TLI = 0.94; IFI = 0.92; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study show that the Disaster Response Self-Efficacy Scale is a valid and reliable tool that could be used to determine the nursing students' disaster response self-efficacy.

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

BACKGROUND

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

PURPOSE

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

METHODS

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

RESULTS

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

CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

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

Australian nurses' and midwives' perceptions of their workplace environment during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background

Working as a front-line worker during a pandemic is a unique situation that requires a supportive work environment. An informed understanding of nurses' and midwives' workplace experiences during a pandemic, such as COVID-19, may enable better preparation and targeted support for future pandemics at an individual, organisational, and policy level.

Aim

The aim of this study was to explore nurses' and midwives' workplace experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Methods

A cross-sectional online survey consisting of open-ended questions was conducted with a convenience sample of nurses and midwives (n = 1003) working in New South Wales Health hospital settings, in Australia. Open-ended questions were analysed using content analysis.

Results

Five themes were identified; 'organisational communication', 'workplace support', 'availability of personal protective equipment', 'flexible working', and 'new ways of working'. Nurses' and midwives' workplace experiences during COVID-19 were influenced by leaders who were perceived to be adaptive, authentic, responsive, transparent, and visible. While many expressed a number of workplace challenges, including access to personal protective equipment, there was opportunity to explore, develop, and evaluate new and alternate models of care and working arrangements.

Conclusion

It is important that nurses and midwives are supported and well prepared to cope during pandemics in the workplace. Organisational leadership and timely dissemination of transparent pandemic plans may support nurses' adaptive workplace experiences.