Coordinating Earthquake Response in Neonatal Intensive Care: A Phenomenological Exploration of Nurses' Experiences

Disaster response in neonatal intensive care units is particularly complex because care continuity depends on coordinated teamwork, stable infrastructure, and technology-dependent support for highly vulnerable infants. However, qualitative evidence on how nurses experience disaster response in these settings remains limited, especially in the context of the 2023 Türkiye-Syria earthquakes. This study explored how nurses working in neonatal intensive care units experienced disaster response during the earthquakes. Data were collected through semistructured in-depth interviews with 21 nurses and analyzed using descriptive phenomenological analysis. Participants described disaster response not only as a clinical emergency but also as a disruption of the systems supporting coordination, safe neonatal care, and practical preparedness. They reported breakdowns in communication and role clarity, fragility in care when electricity, oxygen delivery, monitoring systems, evacuation planning, and essential supplies became unstable, and a clear gap between general disaster education and unit-specific readiness. Overall, the findings highlight the need for neonatal intensive care-specific disaster preparedness.