Comparison of the Effect of Lecturing and Tabletop Exercise Methods on Level of Preparedness of Nurses against Natural Disasters

Abstract

Hospitals are the first-line care providers in natural disasters. Nurses, as one of the critical health professional groups, require adequate peroration for responding to natural disasters. Due attention has to be paid to various teaching methods to improve the level of nurses' preparedness. Objective: This study compared the effect of lecturing and lecturing-tabletop exercise methods on the level of nurses' preparedness against natural disasters. Materials and Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 74 nurses were randomly selected from different wards at a hospital in Yazd City, Iran, in 2017. Nurses' preparedness level was measured with the 72-item Scale for Nurses' Preparedness against Natural Disasters, including three areas of knowledge, attitude, and performance. The study participants were assigned into group A (lecturing method, n=37) and group B (lecturing-tabletop exercise method, n=37) using a simple random sampling technique. Nurses' level of preparedness was measured three times (pre-and postintervention, and follow-up) using the Preparedness for Disasters questionnaire. The obtained data were analyzed applying repeated measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Paired Samples t-test. Results: The mean scores of nurses' knowledge, attitude, and performance were increased by 4.94, 7.38, and 5.59 in group A as well as 6.56, 11.43, and 6.08 in group B. Additionally, the total score of nurses' preparedness in group B was significantly higher at Pre-test, post-test, and one-month followup (107.89±7.50) (P=0.0001). Conclusion: Education (lecturing and lecturing-tabletop exercise methods) positively affected nurses' preparedness. However, it was more effective through lecturing-tabletop exercise methods due to having a scenario and the better participation of nurses in the learning process. This finding emphasizes the positive effect of participants' interactions in the tabletop exercise method on the quality of education, critical skill, and increased level of nurses' preparedness against natural disasters.

Effect of a Tabletop Program for Training Emerging Infectious Disease Responses in Nurses at Small- to Medium-Sized Hospitals in Areas with Poor Healthcare Access

“…We speculate that this design will increase the efficiency of training programs. In a study that compared the effect of disaster response training based on lectures vs. tabletop exercises, Mirzaei [21] reported that although knowledge scores improved after training in both groups, the group that was trained using the tabletop exercise, as well as the lecture, scored higher than the group that received the lecture only. Thus, an approach based on both lectures and tabletop exercises enhances the efficiency of education/training of responses to emerging infectious diseases and should be considered when designing training programs.…”

“…According to a previous study [23], the performance of infection control for emerging infectious diseases was better in nurses who received two or more training sessions on emerging infectious diseases and PPE than in nurses who did not receive such training and in nurses who received repeated training during an outbreak than in nurses who did not. Mirzaei [21] found that the level of nurses' knowledge regarding disaster responses had decreased by 4 weeks after as compared to immediately after a tabletop exercise. Kim [24] reported that competency in disaster nursing significantly increased immediately after a tabletop exercise but showed a decreasing trend after 4 weeks.…”

An Unfolding Tabletop Simulation Training Exercise on Disaster Planning for Nursing Students

“…It serves as an interactive learning strategy that promotes student engagement, team building, communication skills practice, and defining roles and responsibilities. 13 Part of the exercise encouraged students to identify resources and call out issues, challenges, and assumptions. Although the design phase of the tabletop simulation was time-intensive, there was no financial cost involved.…”

“…There are many benefits to incorporating a tabletop disaster planning simulation in the classroom. It serves as an interactive learning strategy that promotes student engagement, team building, communication skills practice, and defining roles and responsibilities 13. Part of the exercise encouraged students to identify resources and call out issues, challenges, and assumptions.…”

A decision support system for scheduling the shifts of physicians during COVID-19 pandemic

“…Then, they prepared a test for these nurses, who had undergone a one-day training, to observe effect of the education on emergency situations. Mirzaei et al ( Mirzaei et al, 2020 ) also made a survey with nurses. They applied a questionnaire to two group of nurses to test whether they were ready for natural disasters.…”