The Attitudes, Knowledge and Performance of Ilam Nurses Regarding Disaster Preparedness

Background: Currently, hospital preparedness is an essential element for disaster management. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to examine the attitudes, knowledge and performance of nurses with respect to crisis management. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was undertaken among 112 nurses working in three hospitals affiliated to the Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Iran. A questionnaire designed according to previous studies was used to identify demographic information, nurses’ attitudes (11 questions), knowledge (6 questions), and performance (6 questions) regarding hospital preparedness during disasters. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 19.0.  Results: The overall scores for attitude, knowledge, and performance of nurses were 27.35, 9.5, and 3.88, respectively. There was a significant correlation between educational degree and nurses’ attitude (P=0.027). Also, there was a significant relationship between work experience and nurses’ attitude regarding hospital preparedness during disasters (P=0.022). Conclusion: Although most of the nurses had a fair attitude regarding hospital preparedness during disasters, their knowledge and performance were poor.