Disaster preparedness among medical and nursing personnel

Researcher: Kossioris Aristomenis

Background:
Disasters, as regards the health sector, are considered a sudden or gradual disease of an entire community, which is impossible to confront adequately without external assistance.

Aim:
The aim of the study was to explore the disaster preparedness among medical and nursing personnel.

Methods:
The statistical sample of this study consisted of 364 health care professionals. A special questionnaire designed by Fung et al in 2007 was used. Statistical analysis was produced using SPSS 17 and the performance of the chi-square test.

Results:
By the descriptive analysis it was detected that the biggest percentage of the medical and nursing personnel (61%) considered themselves not adequately prepared for disasters. Of the study participants, 64.6% stated that if a disaster happen in their workplace they would follow the hospital disaster plan to manage the situation, while 55.7% they did not know if there is a disaster plan in their workplace. 81,8% considered as disaster the fires in Peloponnese and Evia in 2007, while 30.3% the aviation accident in Grammatiko area in 2005. 77.1% stated that the occurrence of earthquake is a very likely possibility for the Greek territory, while 77.5% stated as unlikely the possibility of a nuclear accident. By the statistical analysis it was detected that the administrative nurses perceived themselves more frequently as prepared for disaster management (p=0.002), as well those who have done postgraduate studies (p=0.047) and those who had participated in any disaster management educational activity in their workplace (p<0.001).
 
Conclusions:
Education and training affects positively the knowledge on disasters and the health-related disaster preparedness, therefore, it is necessary for the health care professionals, when in an undergraduate level, to attend more relevant courses.