Abstract
Background: Disaster is unforeseeable event that destroys lives and affects people, ruins possessions and disturbs environment. Nursing staff play a vital role in dealing with the victims of such events, so, it is essential for nursing staff to be prepared in facing the consequences of disasters. Aim: Identify the effect of internal disaster management intervention program on nursing staff knowledge and skills. Design: A quasi- experimental design was used. Setting: The study was conducted at Tanta Emergency Hospital, Tanta University. Subject: sample of 35% of total nursing staff (n = 175) were included. Tool: nursing staff knowledge regarding internal disaster management was used included part I: Characteristics data of nursing staff, part II: Nursing staff knowledge regarding internal disaster management, and part III: Nursing staff perceived skills about procedures dealing with internal disaster management. Results: Preprogram, majority of nursing staff had poor knowledge, while post program, more than two-thirds of nursing staff had good level of knowledge with statistical significant improvement on nursing staff levels about internal disaster management pre than post program. As well as, preprogram, more than half of nursing staff had low level of perceived skills, while, post program about two-thirds of nursing staff had high level of perceived skills with statistical significant improvement in nursing staff skills dealing with internal disaster management pre than post program. Conclusion: Nursing staff knowledge and skills was improved after implementation of disaster program. Recommendation: Nursing staff need continuous courses and training for disaster management and incorporate emergency care and disaster management skills into undergraduate curricula.
Highlights
A disaster is a situation or event which overwhelms local capacity necessitating a request to a national or international level for external assistance
An important goal of disaster management is building a culture of awareness that preparation is possible, and, will greatly reduce the consequences from disasters in terms of human and economic loss.(2) Internal disaster management is based upon four distinct phases: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.(3) First: Mitigation phase is the action taken to reduce both human suffering and property loss resulting from extreme natural phenomena.(4) This phase is focused on taking precautionary measures before an actual disaster or emergency takes place to reduce its scope
Preprogram, majority (86.3%) of nursing staff had poor knowledge, while post program, more than two-thirds (69.1%) of nursing staff had good level of knowledge with statistical significant improvement (84.14%) on nursing staff levels about internal disaster management pre than post program(p=0.0001)
Summary
A disaster is a situation or event which overwhelms local capacity necessitating a request to a national or international level for external assistance. Mitigation includes the process of danger identification, assessment of life and property threat in order to limit potential causalities, and adverse impact of natural and technological hazards.(5) Second: Preparedness phase is targeted on preparing activities to be taken when a disaster occurs i.e. planning preparedness measures proper maintenance and training of emergency services, developing and exercise of emergency population warning methods combined with emergency shelters and evacuation plans, stocking piling of supplies and equipment.(6) Third: Response phase includes activities during and immediately following the disastrous event It is a period of triage, stabilization, emergency care and evacuation.(7) Fourth: recovery phase which aims to ensure hospital activities and systems return to normal functioning. Recommendation: Nursing staff need continuous courses and training for disaster management and incorporate emergency care and disaster management skills into undergraduate curricula
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