ANALYSIS OF NURSES’ COMPETENCIES IN DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS OF DISTRICT RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN

Natural or man-made disasters pose major challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. Pakistan is also considered to be especially susceptible to earthquakes, floods, epidemics, industrial accidents, and terrorist acts. During such cases, hospitals are the primary facility for emergency response, and nurses are the largest and most readily available group of healthcare providers within the hospitals. Disaster preparedness skills are thus vital to their competencies in providing an effective response, reducing morbidity and mortality, and continuity of key health services. Disaster preparedness is the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and readiness of the healthcare professionals to respond adequately to disaster situations. The role of nurses during disasters is expected to be varied as they are to conduct triage, provide emergency care, coordinate and communicate, offer psychological assistance, control infections, and manage resources. Lack of readiness in nurses can lead to confusion of response, poor patient outcomes, and stress and burnout among healthcare professionals.