Crisis management in emergencies and natural disasters: Case of kahramanmaraş provience

SUMMARY Aim: In this study, it was aimed to examine the views of managers working in healthcare organizations on crisis management in emergencies and natural disasters. Method: The study was designed in phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research methods, to evaluate the views of healthcare professionals on crisis management in emergencies and natural disasters. In the study, the criterion sampling technique, one of the purposeful sampling methods, was used in qualitative research. Before the research, ethics committee permission, institutional permission, and written informed consent were obtained from the participants. The sample of the study consisted of 8 managers from different units working in health services in Kahramanmaraş city center, who met the inclusion criteria. The research data were collected between 01.05.2023-01.11.2023 using the "Personal Information Questionnaire Form" and "Semi-structured Questionnaire Form". In order to analyze the research data, the data of the semi-structured questionnaire and in-depth interviews were transcribed and thematic and descriptive analysis were performed. Findings: All participants were male and in managerial positions, with an average age of 38.75 years. After analyzing the data, 8 main themes and 28 sub-themes were formed. The main themes were determined as a crisis, crisis management in health services, crisis management process in disasters, perspective on crisis management, preparation of personnel and facilities, duties and responsibilities of crisis management in disasters, crisis management institutions in disasters, and stages of crisis management. Conclusion and Recommendations: The results of the study include findings reflecting the views of health managers on crisis management in emergencies and natural disasters. In order to prepare for emergencies, planning, drills, personalized training, disaster communication, situation assessment, workflow charts and preparation for pre-crisis situations should be made in terms of crisis management in natural disasters. It is thought that understanding the problems experienced by managers in crisis management, how to solve these problems, planning, drilling, coordination, disaster communication, and situation assessment processes within the scope of crisis management in emergencies and natural disasters will lead to more efficient and effective results. By incorporating these elements into their crisis management plans, organizations and communities can enhance their preparedness and resilience in the face of natural disasters.