Qualitative Analysis of the Lived Experience of First-Time Nurse Responders in Disaster

Abstract

The study purpose was to examine the reflections of the lived experiences of nurses in shelters or temporary community medical clinics responding for the first time to a civilian disaster. The disaster-nursing literature echoes the need for development of disaster content in the nursing curriculum. However, little thematic analysis-supporting curriculum from the lived experience of first-time responders exists in the literature. This study's purpose is to identify the essential thematic knowledge and skills necessary to provide care to disaster survivors in communities and for determining the themes necessary to formulate education in emergency preparedness curricula. A narrative inquiry, with a phenomenological analysis, to explore the lived experiences of nurses who responded once to a community disaster was the methodology used to identify themes. Thematic findings demonstrated a lack of prior knowledge about volunteering during a disaster response, that previous mass casualty exercises did not help with their actual responses, and that the participant RNs identified specific and assessment skills necessary for disasters.

Factors Affecting Nurses’ Ability to Provide Effective Care in a Disaster Response: A Review

“…[12][13][14][15] Another factor was nurses' personal traits. [16][17][18] Certain traits, such as adaptability and flexibility, are important because these traits increase nurses' adaptability in chaotic situations and when experiencing a high level of stress.…”

“…Nurses' experience in clinical aspects is considered a factor that can improve the effectiveness of the response to disasters. 16 One article mentioned that nursing experience of ≥ 10 years, emergency/intensive nursing care experience, ability to function in the clinical management domain, and disaster response experience improve nurses' ability to respond to a disaster. 19 Barriers in providing nursing care.…”

Nurses' professional competences in providing care to the injured in earthquake: A qualitative study

“…[ 26 ] Shipman conducted a study in the USA and showed that flexibility and capability were the main traits of nurses during crisis. [ 27 ] Creativity and innovation in providing care was another key parameter of personal competence of nursing role in crisis. Creativity and innovation was mentioned by Sloand’ study on the earthquake of Haiti and Wenji's study on the earthquake of China as the key traits of nurses in proving care to the injured.…”

“…noted that physical assessment and monitoring was one of the essential skills for nurses during critical situations. [ 27 ] Yin maintained about Chinese nurses that observing and monitoring skills was one of the main top professional skills for providing care in critical situations and nurses need to have adequate skills in this regard. [ 35 ]…”

Volunteer nurses' learning experiences in Ludian County, Yunnan, China: Implication for public health nursing education in a disaster

“…Nurses in this study said that they learned about their own ignorance in a real‐life setting. Shipman et al (2016: 61), who investigated the lived experience of nurses who had been deployed to shelters or temporary clinics following a disaster, similarly found that “previous mass casualty exercises did not help with their actual responses.” Yang et al. (2010: 219), who examined nurses' experience in an earthquake relief, echoed that “Previous experience in a hospital setting did not guarantee productive work in disaster conditions.” It might be concluded that as we continue to invest in using advanced technologies to manage disasters, an emphasis should also be placed on our ability to improvise and remain flexible in our response to them.…”