Jamie Ranse, RN, FACN, FCENA, BN, GCertClinEd, GCertClinEpi, MCritCarNurs;

Alison Hutton, RN, MACN, DipApSci(Nsg), BN, PaedCert MN, PhD;

Basseer Jeeawody, RN, FACMHN, BA(Hons), Psych DipNsg, MEd, PhD;1

Rhonda Wilson, RN, BNSc, MNurs(Hons) PhD

ABSTRACT Background: Internationally there is an increasing amount of peer-reviewed literature

pertaining to disaster nursing. The literature includes personal anecdotes, reflections, and

accounts of single case studies. Furthermore, issues such as the willingness of nurses to

assist in disasters, the role of nurses in disasters, leadership, competencies, and educational

preparedness for nurses have been the focus of the literature.

Aim: The aim of this research was to determine the international research priorities for

disaster nursing.

Method: This research used a three-round Delphi technique. The first round used a

face-to-face workshop to generate research statements with nursing members of the

World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM). The second and

third rounds included the ranking of statements on a 5-point Likert scale with nursing

members of WADEM and the World Society of Disaster Nursing (WSDN). Statements

that achieved a mean of four or greater were considered a priority and progressed.

Results: Participants were from multiple countries. Research statements were generated

in the areas of: education, training, and curriculum; psychosocial; strategy, relationship,

and networking; and clinical practice. Psychosocial aspects of disaster nursing ranked the

highest, with five statements appearing in the top ten research areas, followed by state-
ments relating to: education, training, and curriculum; clinical practice; and finally,

strategy, relationship, and networking.

Conclusions: Future disaster nursing research should focus on the area of psychosocial

aspects of disaster nursing, in particular, both the psychosocial needs of a disaster-affected

community and the psychosocial wellbeing of nurses who assist in disaster health activities.

Downlaod here: Ranse, Hutton, Jeeawody, Wilson 2014 Disaster nursing research