International Journal of Nursing

Disaster Readiness among Nurses in Japan: Current Status Following the Great East Japan Earthquake
Takayo Maeda, Sayaka Kotera, Nobuko Matsuda, Glen D. Edwards

Abstract
Objective: This study evaluates the self-perceived nursing readiness of Japanese nurses dispatched to disaster areas following the Great East Japan Earthquake. Identifying readiness deficits is the first step in providing targeted training and education to enhance disaster nursing readiness. Methods: This study employed a quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive research design. A purposive sample of participants (N = 427) was drawn from 171 of 609 randomly selected hospitals from all hospitals nationwide, including base disaster hospitals. Data were collected using the Readiness Estimate and Deploy ability Index Japanese Version (READI-J-V), which evaluates self-reported competencies in seven dimensions with 67 items measuring nursing readiness for disaster. These competencies are necessary for coping with unexpected disaster work environments. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: Overall, the nurses reported moderate readiness levels; low levels were reported on several items. Nurses with previous dispatch experience, longer nursing experience, and a nursing specialty had higher total scores. The ANOVA also revealed significant differences in all seven dimensions of the READI-J-V. Conclusion: The findings support the need for a structured estimate tool that measures disaster nursing competencies and emphasizes training and education to ensure disaster nursing readiness

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/ijn.v3n1a3