Nursing students’ perceived disaster preparedness and response: a pilot study in Oman

Abstract

Objective: Oman being disaster prone, it experiences disasters every three to five years. This study was conducted to assess the perceived level of disaster preparedness and response among nursing students. Method: A descriptive crosssectional pilot study was conducted in May to June 2019 among 51 students recruited from two government nursing colleges. The Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool (DPET) and Disaster Response Self-Efficacy Scale (DRSES) were used to assess the knowledge, skill, disaster management and self-efficacy in handling disasters. Results: Majority (78.4%) of students had ever experienced disasters while at home. Overall, the students had moderate knowledge (M=3.17, S. D=1.49), moderate skill (M=3.12, S. D=1.52) and moderate post disaster management (M=3.12, S. D=1.53). They had overall moderate self-efficacy to respond to disaster (M=2.93, S. D=1.16). Conclusion: Nursing students in Oman have experienced disasters and are willing to respond when called upon though they possess moderate knowledge and confidence to handle disasters. \nKeywords: Disaster preparedness; nursing students; pilot study; Oman