Structured Emergency Drills Enhance Core Disaster Nursing Competencies and Preparedness Among Emergency Department Nurses: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract

To investigate the effectiveness of structured emergency drills in enhancing core disaster nursing competencies and preparedness among emergency department nurses, this multicenter prospective cohort study enrolled 178 nurses from four tertiary-level Class A hospitals (the top-tier ones in mainland China) in a city between January and December 2024 and quarterly structured practical emergency drills were implemented as an intervention. Meanwhile, Standardized assessment tools were administered at baseline and at the end of each quarter. Results showed that both the total score for core disaster nursing competencies and the total disaster preparedness score rose significantly in respective, from 122.8 ± 14.2 at baseline to 179.2 ± 12.6 in the fourth quarter (P < 0.001), and from 80.4 ± 10.8 to 118.9 ± 9.7 (P < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that professional title (β=0.214, P=0.008), disaster training experience (β=0.186, P=0.016), and years of service (β=0.172, P=0.025) significantly influenced core competency improvement. Conclusions could be drawn as the structured practical emergency drills significantly enhance core disaster nursing competencies and preparedness among emergency department nurses, establishing an effective disaster response training model.