Research is essential in ensuring that the field of nursing remains dynamic and proactive to emerging trends. In addition to a proper undertaking of the research activities, thorough documentation of the work is vital to the target audience for them to properly evaluate the research. This article reviews the research document by Baack and Alfred (2013) on the preparedness and perceived competence of nurses in managing disasters. A brief overview of the report reveals that the authors followed the basic structural requirements of a research paper, more so in nursing. The article contains an abstract, a brief introduction, and comprehensive literature. Moreover, there is a detailed methodology, precise results, and an extensive discussion section. This is in addition to a properly-documented references section. The contents of each of these sections are reviewed based on various mandatory research article components: their conceptualization, application, and impact on the results.
The problem of the research stems from the idea that in the modern society there is a significant increase in the occurrence of disasters, both natural and artificial, and that the nursing sector may be inadequately prepared to deal with the problems that arise from these adversities. The article was therefore conducted to establish the current level of preparedness of nurses in dealing with the disasters, and a result provides practical solutions that can be applied in the emergency response systems across the globe. The research focusses on the rural communities and raises questions on the level of preparedness of the nursing staff, and how the nurses' variations (such as age and experience), the national nursing infrastructure and regulation influence the quality of the services provided by nurses during disaster-related emergencies. Similarly, the researchers sought to establish whether there exists a relationship between the extent of self-regulation and disaster management competency. The variables of the research include the nurses' "age, years of experience and previous experience, self-regulation, and healthcare climate..." (Baack and Alfred, 2013).
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The authors based their literature review on the definitions of the scope of their research. They identify human-induced disasters such as terror attacks, arson, as well as natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes. Each of these disasters presents a unique set of problems. Natural disasters are easy to predict and localize since some areas are more prone to them than others. However, the occurrence and nature of human-induced tragedies are difficult to anticipate because they are often a result of malice, negligence, or accident. Furthermore, the literature review focuses on Texas, and how many of the nurses there are ill-equipped in their role in disaster management. This role includes taking care of large numbers of the sick and injured, delivering mass vaccinations and evacuations, as well as preventing further casualties and injuries through control of the event, such as a pathogen break-out. Finally, the literature review identifies that the nursing personnel in rural areas have a unique challenge due to the geographical separation between the people and the health care facilities (Baack and Alfred, 2013).
The theoretical framework of the article is based on Deci’s Self-determinism theory which postulates that human beings are motivated by various factors to achieve growth and development. The research identifies these factors as the age of the individual nurses, their self-regulation (motivation and relatedness), and the level of independence and control in which the nurses operate. The conceptual framework of the article expounds on the factors mentioned above. The demographic features determine how a nurse responds to a disaster, while the nature of the nursing environment determines how efficiently the activities of disaster management are performed.
The sample size of the research was six hundred and twenty nurses, which represents about a quarter of the nurses working in the study facilities, and about four percent of the entire rural nursing population in Texas. According to the statistical evaluation method cited in the paper, the minimum sample size should be eighty-five. Therefore, the research, having a sample size that is over seven times larger than the minimum requirement, makes it and the collected results viable for developing a course of action. Moreover, the research was conducted through an online survey, which meant that the timidity associated with in-person interviews did not burden the respondents: their anonymity protected them. Moreover, the online tool allowed the nurses to think about their responses for a prolonged period. Internet-Based research is the best embodiment of the voluntary provision of information. Unlike physical interviews where the respondents feel obliged to respond to either avoid appearing rude or conflicts with the management, online respondents are genuinely motivated to assist in the research process (Joel and Anil, 2005). The survey contained fifty-eight questions that ranged from determining the nurse’s demographic features to those that assess their competency. Some of the questions in the study required either a yes or no response. Others were to be answered by a grade between one and five.
The results of the researched established the average age of the nurses as forty-two, with about fifteen years of experience. Most respondents were white, and registered nurses, each representing over eighty percent of the sample size. Various scoring systems reveal a similar result of low levels of preparedness. Age and education did not have a significant influence on the level of readiness. However, experience in dealing with disasters was found to be a major contributor. The nursing regulation had the least impact (Baack and Alfred, 2013).
The study answered the various research questions by establishing which of the factors under investigation had a significant impact on the nurse's ability to manage disasters. The research focuses on the rural population which faces a different level of disaster-related challenges in the physical distances between people and the facilities. However, the scope was limited to certain factors. Therefore, it is likely that other factors which were not under consideration here played a significant role in disaster management. Besides, the sample was hugely from the same cultural background. It would have been prudent to research either a region with a mixed cultural population or one with a different majority race, such as Hispanic or African-American. A comparison between the two sets of findings would have depicted a clearer picture of the impact of the various factors. The research was very keen on preserving the dignity and privacy of the respondents, through the anonymity of the internet. There are no legal or ethical rules that the researchers broke.
The analysis of the data is conducted using two different methods, namely the Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire (EPIQ) summed score and neoadjuvant rectal (NAR) score (George, Carmen, and Greg, 2015). This is done to ensure that the statistical data, such as mean, standard deviation, and median are not prone to statistical bias. The results are a clear indication that there exists a massive deficit in the nurses' disaster-preparedness throughout the country. Therefore, nursing students should endeavor to become vigilant in improving their preparedness through taking courses, conducting public campaigns, and undertaking projects aimed at mitigating the devastating effects of disasters, whether natural or human-induced.
References
Baack, Sylvia, and Danita Alfred. (2013). Nurses' Preparedness and Perceived Competence in Managing Disasters. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 45(3), 281- 287.
George, Thomas J., Carmen J. Allegra, and Greg Yothers. (2015). Neoadjuvant Rectal (NAR) Score: A New Surrogate Endpoint in Rectal Cancer Clinical Trials. Current Colorectal Cancer Reports , 11(5), 275-280.
Gebbie, Kristine M., and Kristine Qureshi. (2002). Emergency and Disaster Preparedness: Core Competencies for Nurses. What Every Nurse Should but May Not Know. The American Journal of Nursing, 102(1),46-51.
Joel, R. Evans, and Anil Mathur. (2005). The value of online surveys. Internet Research, 15(2), 195-219.
