Analysis of the effects of high-fidelity simulation on nursing students' perceptions of their preparedness for disasters

Abstract

Introduction: As disasters may occur any time, health care staff and institutions should be prepared to manage these events. The aim of study is to analyze the effects of high-fidelity simulation on the perceptions of senior nursing students regarding their preparedness for disasters. Methods: This study used a pretest-posttest design and was conducted as a quasi-experimental investigation. Results: Slightly less than the half of the students (42.5%) expressed that they were prepared to face a disaster. There was a statistically significant difference in their scores on the Scale of Perception of Disaster Preparedness among Nurses between the pre-intervention and postdisaster stage (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Supporting simulation activities with drills positively affected nurses' perceptions of disasters.