Enhancing Nurses’ Disaster Management and Preparedness: Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Online Educational Program Through a Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

Background

Disaster management is an ongoing international concern, and nurses play essential roles in minimizing negative impacts on the health of communities. However, many nurses have limited knowledge and skills on how to respond to disasters effectively. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of a newly developed educational program on improving nurses’ disaster management and preparedness.

Methods and Design

A quasi-experimental study was conducted on 88 nurses working at a public hospital. The educational program included six modules covering various aspects of disaster management. Pre-and post-tests were administered to evaluate changes in perceptions of disaster management competencies. Independent sample t-test, Pearson coefficient correlation, and One-way ANOVA tests were all run using SPSS.

Results

A significant proportion of nurses (78.4%) reported ongoing training in disaster management, while a smaller percentage (21.6%) expressed a contrary opinion. Nurses also had a moderate level of agreement with the disaster preparedness program (Pretest: 2.26 ± 0.34; post-test: 2.29 ± 0.31). Further, the results showed small improvements in nursing perceptions of the operational plan after the educational program (Pretest: M=2.76, SD=0.63; Post-test: M=2.89, SD=0.44), although the differences between pre-and-post assessments were not significant (P > 0.05). The mean values for overall familiarity in the pre-test were 3.16 ± 1.39, while in the post-test, they slightly increased to 3.26 ± 1.18. The findings also showed no statistically significant differences reported in nurses’ attitudes and familiarity towards disaster preparedness based on the gender, marital status, nationality, working shifts, and working hours variables (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

This study demonstrated the significance of providing nurses with the essential knowledge that helps respond to disasters. Online educational programs can help improve nurses’ preparedness to better manage disasters. Future research should investigate additional variables that could enhance nurses’ knowledge and skills related to disaster response.

Keywords:

• disaster management
• preparedness
• educational program
• healthcare
• nurses

Data Sharing Statement

Data are not shared due to privacy and ethical restrictions.

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Institutional Review Board Statement

The study obtained approval from the IRB committee at King Fahad Medical City (Ref#: 21-535E).

Acknowledgments

The authors extend their appreciation to Researchers Supporting Project number (RSP2024R438) at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Researchers Supporting Project number (RSP2024R438) at King Saud University.