Disaster preparedness among nurses in India: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Global disasters like the coronavirus disease in 2019 pose a threat to human life and health at an increasing rate. Countries have been urged by the World Health Organization to develop comprehensive disaster preparedness plans. Examining and evaluating nurses' preparedness for disasters is crucial. This study was intended to research the catastrophe readiness and mental state of attendants in India and break down the critical elements affecting their calamity readiness. In 2020, a cross-sectional survey was carried out, and convenience sampling was used to enroll 1,440 nurses. A networking platform that was comparable to Amazon Mechanical Turk was used to distribute and collect the study questionnaires. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to assess anxiety and depression status, the Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool was used to measure respondents' disaster preparedness, and a self-designed questionnaire based on a literature review was used to investigate the potential factors that influence disaster preparedness. The participants' disaster preparedness scores were, on average, 186.34 (SD = 40.80), which indicated a moderate level, particularly in terms of skill (mean score = 42.01, SD = 12.39). Support for the government, personal protection, and health education received higher scores, while nursing community leadership, the capacity to cope with chemical or biological attacks, and posttraumatic stress disorder assessment received lower scores. Depression and anxiety were found to be negatively correlated with disaster preparedness. Educational background, nursing specialty, prior disaster training, prior disaster rescue experience, and depression level were the main factors affecting disaster preparedness. Indian nurses' disaster preparedness needs to be improved. Future tailored interventions are urgently required to promote nursing leadership in the community, the capacity to cope with chemical or biological attacks, and posttraumatic stress disorder assessments. Additionally, disaster preparedness among nurses should receive more attention. Additionally, nurses' mental health should be bolstered by alleviating negative emotions.