Effectiveness of a Structured Disaster Management Training Program on Nurses' Disaster Readiness for Response to Emergencies and Disasters: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background: Most frontline nurses lack sufficient readiness for effective disaster response. Therefore, designing a disaster management training program (DMTP) to promote nurses' readiness for disaster response is imperative.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured DMTP on nurses' readiness for response to disasters.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted. One hundred eligible nurses, recruited using convenience sampling from a medical centre in northern Taiwan, were randomly assigned to either the experimental (EG, n = 50) or control (CG, n = 50) group. Both groups received regular continuous nursing education. The EG received an extra two-day (16 h) structured DMTP delivered by transdisciplinary collaborations through multiple teaching strategies (lectures, simulations, problem-solving lessons, demonstrations, tabletop exercises, discussions, group presentations, and reflections). Readiness for disaster response, consisting of four subscales (emergency response, clinical management, self-protection, and personal preparation), was assessed at baseline and 12 weeks after the intervention. Generalized estimating equations were used as the primary method of data analyses to evaluate the intervention effects.

Results: Ninety-four nurses (94%) completed the study, and 100 nurses were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. While participants in the EG had increased readiness for disaster response after training and at the 12-week follow-up, those in the CG exhibited no differences between baseline and 12-week follow-up. When the group × time interaction was examined, the EG had a greater increase in readiness for disaster response and its four domains, including emergency response, clinical management, self-protection, and personal preparedness after 12 weeks, than the CG.

Conclusion: A two-day structured DMTP utilizing multiple teaching strategies through transdisciplinary collaborations is recommended to enhance hospital nurses' readiness for disaster response. Implications for Nursing Management. Nursing leaders should consider incorporating such a structured DMTP into ongoing nursing training as a critical component of professional development programs, thereby strengthening nurses' disaster readiness in hospital settings.

Figure 1

CONSORT diagram of participants' flow through the trial.