Are emergency care staff prepared for disaster?

Abstract

When disasters occur, nurses of all specialties require the appropriate knowledge and skills to respond effectively and efficiently. To assess the extent to which nurses in the US are prepared for emergencies, researchers have developed the Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire (EPIQ), in which participants are invited to assess their familiarity with aspects of emergency preparedness. This article discusses a pilot study of the use of the EPIQ among minor injury unit nurses and healthcare assistants in the UK. The results suggest that the principle of the EPIQ is sound but that it should be adapted to cater for different disaster situations and the needs of individual nurses. Terms that describe disasters and large-scale emergency situations are often used interchangeably so, to avoid confusion, this article uses 'disaster' to refer to all such events.

Disaster Preparedness among Health Professionals and Support Staff: What is Effective? An Integrative Literature Review

“…Broadly, some studies identified that either clinical or technical disaster skills combined with structural disaster knowledge are important 5 9 , 16 , 21 , 24 Some studies focused on only clinical or technical disaster preparedness 6 16 , 29 , 33 Additionally, some studies identified that content could be based on national or international competencies 20 …”

“…, 9 , 16 , 21 , 24 Some studies focused on only clinical or technical disaster preparedness 6 16 , 29 , 33 Additionally, some studies identified that content could be based on national or international competencies 20 25 , 33 , 38 , 39 The methods of disaster preparedness programs included online learning, didactic, self-learning, disaster exercises, or blended learning involving more than one method of teaching or learning.…”

Emergency Nurses’ Requirements for Disaster Preparedness

“…In a study conducted by Worrall ( 28 ), nurses obtained the highest scores in biological agent and lowest scores in ICS. McKibbin et al ( 29 ) also showed that familiarity of nurses in disaster preparedness were in low.…”

Health-care providers’ perception of knowledge, skills and preparedness for disaster management in primary health-care centres in Jordan

“…A previous study among nurses showed that participants had a low perception of their preparedness for disaster management (28). Hence, for effective disaster training and educational programmes, HCPs' awareness and understanding should be fully explored and described to present a real picture of the current status of their disaster preparedness (29).…”