Educational needs concerning disaster preparedness and response: A comparison of undergraduate nursing students from Istanbul, Turkey, and Miyazaki, Japan

• Published in: Japan journal of nursing science : JJNS 2014-04, Vol.11 (2), p.94-101
• Main Authors: Öztekİn, Seher Deniz, Larson, Eric Edwin, Altun Uğraş, Gülay, Yüksel, Serpil
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Curricula; disaster; Disaster Planning; Education, Nursing; educational needs; Emergency preparedness; Female; Humans; Japan; Needs Assessment; Nursing; preparedness; response; Students; Students, Nursing; Turkey; undergraduate nursing students; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1742-7932; 1742-7924
• DOI: 10.1111/jjns.12008

Aim To compare 4 year undergraduate nursing students' educational needs concerning disaster preparedness and response in Istanbul and Miyazaki. Methods This was a 13 question descriptive/comparative survey. Results Females, aged 18–22 years, and in their second year of their nursing programs, rarely participate in disaster preparedness and response courses at their universities (75.2%) or outside (89.8%). Educational needs of Miyazaki's students who had already participated in these courses (85%) were higher than in Istanbul's (67.2%). Of those whose educational needs had not been met, 55.9% were considering taking another lecture/course in one of the following years (Istanbul, 47.4%; Miyazaki, 71.4%). The majority of students from Istanbul reported some knowledge about disaster preparedness and response from courses at their universities while Miyazaki's students showed less. Effective teaching methods/resources were mock drills. Nursing interventions in disaster situations in “response competencies” were preferred issues to be included in course content (Istanbul, 90.4%; Miyazaki, 93.1%). Most student nurses had no expectations on skills that could be gained from a disaster preparedness and response course/culture of disaster lecture (Istanbul, 48.7%; Miyazaki, 34.5%). Conclusion Nursing students in both cities seem more likely to participate in disaster preparedness and response courses/lectures. The present study also addresses the need to incorporate mass casualty care and disaster management skills into undergraduate curricula. Core contents for nursing curricula in both cities need to be continued. Outcome competencies must be identified and validated through further research.