Emergency preparedness of California nurses and nursing students: A statewide survey

Background: Emergency preparedness experts agree that specific skills and abilities are vital to an effective response to major disasters. Health professionals and nurses in particular are pivotal to any large scale emergency response. The disaster response roles and functions of many nurses are clearly defined by their employment situation; including specific training and preparation. In the event of a major disaster, prearranged plans may not be feasible, and nurses may find themselves in unique and unimagined situations. Recognizing the fluidity of any emergency event, nurses require basic skills and abilities to apply in a variety of situations. Moreover, nursing students may prove essential to meeting emergent health care needs as capacity is stretched. This study sought to assess the level of competency and familiarity with select emergency preparedness essentials by state nurses (Registered Nurses, Licensed Vocational Nurses, and student nurses).

Methods: Using an online survey method, nurses and nursing students throughout the state of California were asked to participate in this self-reported assessment. Recruitment was achieved through a quarterly nursing issues publication sent out to all licensed nurses in the state (RN & LVN), as well as nursing programs (BSN, ADN and LVN). This study utilized a survey tool developed for use in Wisconsin (2003) to assess familiarity with emergency preparedness terms/activities and select competencies vital to emergency response. Descriptive and correlational statistical analysis of the data is planned.

Results: The survey period extends to June 2008 to allow for optimal participation. With recent highly publicized local and statewide disasters, the level of interest in this survey is expected to be high. The results of this study are expected to provide critical information on current strengths and weaknesses in emergency preparedness training of state nurses and nursing students.

Conclusions: The information gained from this study can lead to the development of targeted educational programs for practicing nurses and nursing students, with enhanced statewide capability in the event of a large-scale disaster/emergency event. It is also hoped that participation in this study will provide useful information to practicing nurses on areas of training they may wish to pursue.