Levels of nurse disaster preparedness: A systematic review and meta-analysis

To evaluate nurses' disaster preparedness and the impact of publication year, departments, disaster response experience and disaster training on nurses' level of disaster preparedness.

With the frequent occurrence of global disaster events. As key medical relief members, nurses' preparedness has a significant impact on disaster response effectiveness.

Systematic review and meta-analysis METHOD: CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library. The search period was from the creation of the database to December 4, 2024. A random effects model was used to summarize the total mean scores for the three sub-dimensions of the Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool. Subgroup analyses were performed to explore sources of between-study heterogeneity.

A meta-analysis of 21 studies with 9222 nurses from three countries. The total mean DPET score (3.95, 95 % CI [3.81,4.10], P = 0.000), with scores on the disaster knowledge, disaster skills and disaster management dimensions were (4.06, 95 % CI [3.92,4.21], P = 0.000), (3.89, 95 % CI [3.73,4.05], P = 0.000), (3.83, 95 % CI [3.65,4.00], P = 0.000). Subgroup analyses showed an increase in nurses' total mean DPET scores after COVID-2019; the average total DPET score of emergency department nurses and nurses without disaster relief experience or training was relatively weak.

Nurses' disaster preparedness was moderate and disaster skills and management abilities needed strengthening. In the emergency department, nurses without disaster response experience and training had relatively low levels of disaster preparedness. These findings may guide nursing educators in educating nurses about disaster care.