Nursing faculty members’ experience in the disaster area following the Great East Japan Earthquake: Focus on disaster prevention

Aim: This study identi fi ed issues associated with disaster prevention measures in three Educational Nursing Institutions (ENIs) a ff ected by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. Methods: Participants were eight ENI nursing faculty members in the Tohoku region. A qualitative descriptive methodology was utilized using semi-structured interviews. The focus was on the successful aspects of the participants ’ actions following the disaster. Disaster prevention issues that were identi fi ed were divided into two categories: rehabilitation period and emergency conditions. Categories were classi fi ed using the narratives of the eight participants. Results: Five issues identi fi ed in the rehabilitation period were: (1) clari fi cation of the role of schools in the area; (2) communication methods at the time of disaster were not established; (3) emergency equipments were insu ffi cient; (4) the need to review content of disaster prevention training; and (5) failure to utilize the disaster prevention manual adequately. Six issues mentioned in the emergency conditions are as follows: (1) the roles of faculty and sta ff were not clari fi ed; (2) command and control systems were underdeveloped; (3) evacuation methods were not de fi ned; (4) the safety con fi rmation system was incomplete; (5) the role of students was unclear due to a lack of infrastructure to adequately support them; and (6) it was di ffi cult to care for the students. Conclusions: Educational Nursing Institutes should be aware that their institutions could be utilized as evacuation centers following disasters, despite not being designated as such in the regional disaster prevention plan. As a result, ENIs should be prepared to ful fi ll their role in assisting survivors. In addition, disaster prevention plan should equally balance the business continuity plans for disasters, thus ensuring “ student safety and health management ” . Also, “ measures to resume and continue education ” are necessary.