Are nurses ready? Bangladeshi nurses' perceived preparedness for disasters: A mixed-methods approach

Abstract

Well-prepared healthcare response during disasters can significantly reduce the risks of injury and death. Therefore, the role of emergency healthcare professionals in disaster management is extremely crucial. Using a convergent mixed-methods approach, the present study aimed to assess Bangladeshi nurses' preparedness for disasters, as well as examine the factors associated with the nurses' disaster management. The survey data were collected from 405 nurses of six hospitals in three disaster-prone districts: Sirajganj, Patuakhali, and Sylhet of Bangladesh. The Bengali version of the Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool (DPET) was used for the survey. Qualitative data were collected from 6 focus group discussions and 22 interviews with key informants, including nurse superintendents, nursing supervisors, and duty nurses. The nurses demonstrated moderate preparedness for disasters, but lack of knowledge, skills, and education on disaster management was identified. Nursing academic qualifications, hospitals (public/private), nurses’ working areas (cyclone-prone, flood-prone, and earthquake-prone areas) were significant predictors of the nurses' disaster response and recovery preparedness. However, nursing experience, age, and disaster response experience were not significantly associated with the disaster preparedness scores. Adequate disaster education, including training, exercises, and drills, is needed to increase disaster management capacity. The findings of the study would be beneficial for providing the importance of nursing education and policy implications. Future investigations should focus on nurses' disaster preparedness and readiness in actual settings.