Abstract
Purpose: Disasters happen worldwide. They devastate infrastructure, livelihoods, and often result in mass casualties. The increased occurrence of disasters means that disaster preparedness training is essential. Studies have shown that nurses make up the largest number of healthcare providers and are often the first point of contact for disaster survivors. The International Council of Nursing calls for nurses to be involved in all aspects of disaster preparedness, from risk assessment to multidisciplinary management. Nurses and nursing associations are urged to take leadership roles in preparing their countries for disasters. In a country such as Haiti that is prone to natural disasters, nurses require knowledge and skills to effectively respond to these events. There is a gap in the research on disaster preparedness and disaster nursing in Haiti. The purpose of this study is to explore Haitian nurses’ perception about disaster preparedness and disaster nursing.
Methods: Fourteen participants met the inclusion criteria, which included: Haitian nurses who graduated from a three year or more nursing program in Haiti; currently working as a nurse; able to read and speak English; and age greater than 18. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and a semi-structured interview guide.
Results: Four major themes were generated from the data: (1) Approaches to Care, (2) Education and Training, (3) Inadequate Resources, and (4) Recommend Being Prepared.
Implications: Findings from this research study may: (1) add to the body of evidence and inform nurses about disaster preparedness and disaster nursing; (2) inform policy makers regarding funding and resources for disasters, and (3) provide a basis for disaster nursing education.
Conclusion: Findings of this study revealed the roles of nurses before, during, and after a disaster and the varying challenges they encountered providing care in this population. In the process of describing their experiences, nurses, brought to light the fears they faced addressing disasters with lack of materials and medications, lack of infrastructure, lack of healthcare resources and funding, and lack of medical equipment. They described their efforts to educate the population, collaborate with communities, keep patients and themselves safe under these conditions. Participants overwhelmingly recommended to prepare before disasters and requested more education and training in nursing school and in practice to save lives.
Notes
References:
Caporiccio, J., Louis, K. R., Lewis-O'Connor, A., Son, K. Q., Raymond, N., Garcia-Rodriguez, I. A., Dollar, E., & Gonzalez, L. (2019). Continuing Education for Haitian Nurses: Evidence from Qualitative and Quantitative Inquiry. Annals of Global Health, 85(1), 93. https://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.2538
Koca, B., & Arkan, G. (2020). The effect of the disaster management training program among nursing students. Public Health Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.12760
Labrague, L. J., Hammad, A. K., Gloe, D. S., Mcenroe-Petitte, D. M., Fronda, D. C., Obeidat, A. A., Leocadio, M. C., Cayaban, A. R., & Mirafuentes, E. C. (2018) Disaster preparedness among nurses: a systematic review of literature. International Nursing Review, 65, 41–53.
Nan, Y., Li, Y., Liu, K., & Lai, J. (2023, January). Earthquake disaster and international emergency rescue of Haiti Ms7.3 earthquake in 2021. In Frontiers of Civil Engineering and Disaster Prevention and Control Volume 2: Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Civil, Architecture and Disaster Prevention and Control (CADPC 2022), Wuhan, China, 25-27 March 2022 (p. 379). CRC Press.
Toney-Butler, T. J., & Thayer, J. M. (2020). Nursing process. StatsPearls Publishing, Florida. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499937/
Sigma Membership
Upsilon
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Competence, Perceptions, Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Nursing, Haitian Nurses, Haiti
Recommended Citation
Cassagnol, Jacqueline, "Haitian Nurses’ Perception about Disaster Preparedness and Disaster Nursing" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 212.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/presentations_2025/212
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
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All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Haitian Nurses’ Perception about Disaster Preparedness and Disaster Nursing
Seattle, Washington, USA
Purpose: Disasters happen worldwide. They devastate infrastructure, livelihoods, and often result in mass casualties. The increased occurrence of disasters means that disaster preparedness training is essential. Studies have shown that nurses make up the largest number of healthcare providers and are often the first point of contact for disaster survivors. The International Council of Nursing calls for nurses to be involved in all aspects of disaster preparedness, from risk assessment to multidisciplinary management. Nurses and nursing associations are urged to take leadership roles in preparing their countries for disasters. In a country such as Haiti that is prone to natural disasters, nurses require knowledge and skills to effectively respond to these events. There is a gap in the research on disaster preparedness and disaster nursing in Haiti. The purpose of this study is to explore Haitian nurses’ perception about disaster preparedness and disaster nursing.
Methods: Fourteen participants met the inclusion criteria, which included: Haitian nurses who graduated from a three year or more nursing program in Haiti; currently working as a nurse; able to read and speak English; and age greater than 18. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and a semi-structured interview guide.
Results: Four major themes were generated from the data: (1) Approaches to Care, (2) Education and Training, (3) Inadequate Resources, and (4) Recommend Being Prepared.
Implications: Findings from this research study may: (1) add to the body of evidence and inform nurses about disaster preparedness and disaster nursing; (2) inform policy makers regarding funding and resources for disasters, and (3) provide a basis for disaster nursing education.
Conclusion: Findings of this study revealed the roles of nurses before, during, and after a disaster and the varying challenges they encountered providing care in this population. In the process of describing their experiences, nurses, brought to light the fears they faced addressing disasters with lack of materials and medications, lack of infrastructure, lack of healthcare resources and funding, and lack of medical equipment. They described their efforts to educate the population, collaborate with communities, keep patients and themselves safe under these conditions. Participants overwhelmingly recommended to prepare before disasters and requested more education and training in nursing school and in practice to save lives.
Description
Disasters happen worldwide. They devastate infrastructure, livelihoods, and often result in mass casualties. In a country such as Haiti that is prone to natural disasters, nurses require knowledge and skills to effectively respond to these events.This qualitative study explores Haitian nurses’ perceptions about disaster preparedness and disaster nursing.