Emergency department registered nurses overestimate their disaster competency: A cross-sectional study
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Abstract
Health care systems face challenges during major incidents due to a sudden influx of patients. The surge capacity of hospitals relies significantly on the skills and knowledge of emergency department (ED) registered nurses (RNs), impacting patient safety and outcomes. However, there's a gap in understanding ED RNs' perception of their disaster preparedness.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate emergency department registered nurses' self-perceived disaster preparedness.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted following the STROBE checklist. A self-assessment questionnaire, developed based on specific disaster nursing competencies for ED RNs, was administered to all ED RNs across six hospitals . Competency was assessed using a five-point Likert-type scale.
Results: The study found that ED RNs' self-perceived disaster preparedness, as indicated by the Total Disaster Competency mean, was low. Interestingly, ED RNs tended to overestimate their disaster nursing competency compared to the Total Disaster Competency mean. Factors such as experience and education were positively linked to disaster preparedness and self-assessment accuracy.
Conclusion: ED RNs' tendency to overestimate their disaster preparedness highlights the importance of targeted training and education. Experienced and well-educated ED RNs demonstrated better preparedness. Formal disaster education contributed to a more realistic self-assessment of preparedness. This study emphasizes the need for ongoing training to bridge the gap between perceived and actual disaster nursing competencies, ultimately improving patient outcomes during major incidents
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