How does integrating 'disaster nursing' into nursing curricula impact nursing students' perception of disaster literacy and preparedness?

Background: Disaster nursing involves systematic and professional care provided to communities affected by natural or man-made disasters. With limited resources in global disaster settings, nurses play a crucial role in disaster management. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of integrating 'Disaster Nursing' into nursing curricula on nursing students' perceptions of disaster literacy and preparedness.

Methods: This quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest study was conducted at a public university in Izmir, Turkey. The pre-test took place on September 27, 2021, and the post-test on January 7, 2022. The study population comprised 66 nursing students enrolled in the elective "Disaster Nursing" course, with 62 volunteering for participation. Data collection tools included an individual introduction form, the Disaster Literacy Scale, and the Perception of Disaster Preparedness in Nurses Scale. The 14-week "Disaster Nursing" course served as the intervention. Data were collected online and analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired sample t-tests, and Pearson correlation.

Results: Of the students, 51.6% were aged 22-23, and 62.9% were female. Additionally, 54.8% reported previous disaster experience. The mean pre-test score on the Disaster Literacy Scale was 32.97 ± 6.47, which increased significantly to 40.58 ± 5.95 post-test (p < 0.05). The mean pre-test score on the Perception of Disaster Preparedness in Nurses Scale was 81.66 ± 4.61, rising significantly to 90.64 ± 6.25 post-test (p < 0.05). A statistically significant positive correlation was found between the total scores of the Disaster Literacy and Disaster Preparedness in Nurses scales (r = 0.79).

Conclusions: The integration of "Disaster Nursing" into nursing curricula positively enhanced the disaster literacy and preparedness perceptions of nursing students. The results demonstrated that higher levels of disaster literacy were associated with increased disaster preparedness among nurses. These findings can inform the development of educational policies for disaster nursing education in Turkey.