Disaster Preparedness of Nursing Students in Northern Cyprus: Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to evaluate disaster preparedness of undergraduate nursing students.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study included 302 voluntary nursing students from a university in Northern Cyprus. Data were collected through an online survey using Google Forms, which included a descriptive information form and the General Disaster Preparedness Belief Scale (GDPBS).Results: The mean age of the participants was 20.64 +/- 2.02 years. Among the participants, 41.7% had prior experience with disasters, and 77.2% expressed a need for disaster education. The average GDPBS total score was high, and the mean score of the sub-dimensions was moderate. Nursing students who expressed a need for disaster education had higher scores on the severity and self-efficacy subscales of the GDPBS (p<0.05).Conclusion: The level of disease preparedness was moderate in nursing students in Northern Cyprus. Therefore, education based on the health belief model, which assumes that positive health behaviors are affected by knowledge and attitudes, may be useful to improve disaster preparedness in nursing students.