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

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Public Health
• Disaster Management

Background:

• Global disasters, exemplified by coronavirus disease 2019, pose significant threats to public health.
• The World Health Organization emphasizes the need for robust national disaster preparedness plans.
• Evaluating and enhancing nurse disaster preparedness is crucial for effective response.

Approach:

• A 2020 cross-sectional survey assessed disaster preparedness and psychological status in 1,313 Chinese nurses.
• Validated tools, including the Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, were utilized.
• A literature-based questionnaire explored factors influencing disaster preparedness.

Key Points:

• Nurses demonstrated a moderate level of disaster preparedness (mean score 186.34), with notable strengths in personal protection and health education.
• Areas requiring improvement include community nursing leadership, chemical/biological attack response, and post-traumatic stress disorder assessment.
• Disaster preparedness was inversely correlated with nurses' mental health, specifically anxiety and depression levels.

Conclusions:

• Chinese nurses' disaster preparedness requires enhancement, particularly in specialized skills and leadership roles.
• Interventions should address mental health, focusing on reducing anxiety and depression to bolster preparedness.
• Future strategies must prioritize tailored training to improve nurses' capacity in critical disaster scenarios.