Israeli nurses' intention to report for work in an emergency or disaster

This study investigates the effect of personal characteristics and organizational factors on nurses' intention to report for work in a national emergency.

A convenience sample was drawn of 243 Israeli registered nurses. A structured self-administered questionnaire collected data on (a) intention to report for work, (b) barriers preventing nurses from reporting for work, (c) perceived self-efficacy in emergency conditions, (d) risk appraisal of health hazards, (e) knowledge of nurses' roles in emergency work, (f) access to institutional support services, and (g) reporting to work in a past emergency.

Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, t tests, and multiple regression analysis.

Less than half of the nurses who said they had been asked to report for work in a past emergency had actually done so. The major barrier to reporting for work was childcare demands. There was a significant correlation between perceived knowledge, risk appraisal, self-efficacy, and intention to report. Self-efficacy, risk appraisal, working through an earlier emergency, perceived knowledge, and full or part-time working altogether.

Personal factors, such as perceived knowledge, risk appraisal, and self-efficacy, are more important to Israeli nurses than objective barriers in preventing them from reporting for emergency work. The level of perceived knowledge as to the demands on and duties of nurses in a large-scale emergency is low. Self-efficacy enhancing activities need to be introduced into nurse training for emergency preparedness.

This study makes an important contribution to research on the importance of perceived self-efficacy in the context of disaster planning.