Disasters preparedness status of nurses who working in trauma, emergency and surgical clinics and the nurses in national medical rescue team

Background and Aim: It is emphasized that the sufficiency and competence of nurses in disaster preparedness and response issues will play an important role in reducing the mortality and morbidity rates caused by disasters. This descriptive and correlational study aims to examine the disaster preparedness status of nurses working in trauma, emergency and surgical clinics of hospitals and nurses working in the National Medical Rescue Team. Material and Methods: The research was conducted between July 2022 and March 2023 with 122 nurses who worked in Trakya University Health Application and Research Center trauma, emergency and surgery services and Edirne Provincial Health Directorate UMKE Team and volunteered to participate in the research. "Personal Information Form" and "Disaster and Readiness Scale" were used to collect research data. In the evaluation of the data, mean and standard deviation, Chi-Square test with frequency and percentage, independent sample t-test and variance analysis were used. Results; The 95% confidence interval was evaluated and significance was evaluated below p<0.05. Results: It was determined that the disaster preparedness level of nurses working in UMKE was higher compared to nurses working in trauma, emergency and surgical units. Those who have 11 years or more of professional experience, who have experienced a disaster before, who have taken part in an emergency or disaster situation, who have participated in disaster and emergency preparedness training, who state that they know their responsibilities and duties in disaster and emergency situations, who follow publications on disaster awareness, disaster preparedness or disaster response, It was determined that the disaster readiness levels of nurses who consider themselves ready and competent to participate in response activities in case of any disaster and married nurses working in UMKE are higher. Conclusion: Nurses' preparedness levels for disasters were at a medium level and UMKE nurses were more ready. It is advised to support nurses in participating in disaster preparedness trainings, identify their roles and responsibilities in disaster scenarios prior to disasters, and encourage nurses to become more prepared for disasters.