An Unfolding Tabletop Simulation Training Exercise on Disaster Planning for Nursing Students

Disaster planning is an essential component for nursing students to learn.

Clinical experiences of disasters are typically unavailable for nursing students. Increasing frequency of disaster events around the globe has made disaster planning knowledge and skills a critical component in nursing education and professional practice.

An unfolding tabletop disaster planning exercise was created as a simulation training strategy meant to strengthen essential disaster response skills. The exercise involves 5 realistic scenarios related to a mass casualty event, taking students from the disaster site to the hospital-based disaster response.

Implementation of a tabletop disaster planning simulation in one nursing program replaced the traditional lecture-based disaster content.

An unfolding tabletop disaster planning simulation is a comprehensive, interactive, sustainable, and low-cost teaching strategy that draws on nursing students' fundamental knowledge. Students had the opportunity to practice clinical skills required during a disaster, such as communication, prioritization, teamwork, and delegation.