Disaster Knowledge and Awareness of Nurses Related to Triage in MASS Casualty Incidents

American life, as we know it, is changing. Disasters are increasing in frequency. Over the past decade, more thantwo million people has lost their lives. Nationally, nurses are not familiar with concepts of disaster nursing and emergency management. Literature demonstrates that nurses lack the knowledge, skills, and ability to respond adequately in a disaster. This quality improvement project evaluated the effectiveness of an evidence-based disaster awareness program specifically designed for nurses who work in the emergency department. This quality improvement project used David Kolb’s Experiential Learning and the Kellogg Foundation’s Logic as an organizational framework. With a global goal, the International Council of Nurses(ICN) proposed a framework for disaster nursing competencies for education of “general” nurses, now considered the “gold standard” of disaster nursing competencies. The program focused on theICN core competencies of disaster nursing. The educational intervention consisted of a variety of educational opportunities, including a self-study packet, an interactive poster, and group discussions. A successful response to a disaster is directly dependent on the community’s disaster preparedness and response. Key findings from this study identified that there is a general lack of knowledge of basic disaster awareness amongst nurses in the emergency department. Disaster awareness specifically looked at knowledge of disaster cycle and awareness of core principles of disaster nursing and disaster triage. The study also supported previous literature that highlights the role that personal preparedness plays in willingness to respond during a disaster. A Retrospective Preevaluation-Postevaluation (RPPE) survey demonstrated that the program was effective in improving nurses’ overall disaster awareness. Recommendations for advanced practice nurses revolve around designing and implementing disaster preparedness education that is geared toward nurses. Like many studies, this project was limited by eligible participants, timing and location. Ultimately, the study demonstrated that nurses have the potential to improve disaster preparedness and readiness to respond. An organization that promotes disaster nursing awareness will only result in improved disaster preparedness.