A survey of the practice of nurses' skills in Wenchuan earthquake disaster sites: implications for disaster training.
yin h., he h., arbon p. & zhu j. (2011) A survey of the practice of nurses' skills in Wenchuan earthquake disaster sites: implications for disaster training. Journal of Advanced Nursing 67(9), 2231-2238. Abstract Aims. To determine nursing skills most relevant for nurses participating in disaster response medical teams; make recommendations to enhance training of nurses who will be first responders to a disaster site; to improve the capacity of nurses to prepare and respond to severe natural disasters. Background. Worldwide, nurses play a key role in disaster response teams at disaster sites. They are often not prepared for the challenges of dealing with mass casualties; little research exists into what basic nursing skills are required by nurses who are first responders to a disaster situation. This study assessed the most relevant disaster nursing skills of first responder nurses at the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake disaster site. Method. Data were collected in China in 2008 using a self-designed questionnaire, with 24 participants who had been part of the medical teams that were dispatched to the disaster sites. Findings. The top three skills essential for nurses were: intravenous insertion; and monitoring; mass casualty triage. The three most frequently used skills were: debridement and dressing; observation and monitoring; intravenous insertion. The three skills performed most proficiently were: intravenous insertion; observation and monitoring; urethral catheterization. The top three ranking skills most important for training were: mass casualty transportation; emergency management; haemostasis, bandaging, fixation, manual handling. Conclusion. The core nursing skills for disaster response training are: mass casualty transportation; emergency management; haemostasis, bandaging, fixation, manual handling; observation and monitoring; mass casualty triage; controlling specific infection; psychological crisis intervention; cardiopulmonary resuscitation; debridement and dressing; central venous catheter insertion; patient care recording.
Descriptive statistics were calculated using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version 13 (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel.
Survey, focus group
rescue skills
Before developing the questionnaire, two focus groups were conducted,each with eight nurses who had participated in the rescue operation following the Wenchuan earthquake disaster. With input from the focus groups, reviewed research literature and the training experience of TMMU, a list of 19 basic nursing skills which were considered to be useful at the disaster site was drawn up.
Data were collected in China in 2008 using a self-designed questionnaire, with 24 participants who had been part of the medical teams that were dispatched to the disaster sites (out of 26 questionnaires distributed)
Determine nursing skills most relevant for nurses participating in disaster response medical teamsMake recommendations to enhance training of nurses who will be first responders to a disaster siteImprove the capacity of nurses to prepare and respond to severe natural disasters
An important limitation of the study was the small sample size.Also, the relative limited experience of many participants
Top 5 nursing skills in order of training need:Mass casualty transportationEmergency managementHaemostasis, bandaging, fixation, manual handlingObservation and monitoringMass casualty triageFive items identified as the most vital and essential skills for nurses to possess at the site of disaster, and these should be considered as the core elements of disaster management training.
The study was approved by the university research ethics committeeConfidentiality consent
The aim of the survey was to explore the practice of nurses’ basic care skills when they were deployed as part of first responder teams to the disaster site; identify their training needs; give information for disaster preparedness and response training.
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