Self-assessed emergency readiness and training needs of nurses in rural Texas.
OBJECTIVE
Nurses, particularly public health nurses, play a key role in emergency preparedness and response in rural areas. To prepare rural jurisdictions for unforeseen disastrous events it is imperative to assess the public health emergency readiness and training needs of nurses. The objective of this study was to assess the self-reported terrorism preparedness and training needs of a nurse workforce.


METHODS
Cross-sectional prevalence of practicing nurses in regions of North Texas. 3,508 rural nurses practicing in North Texas participated in the study.


METHODS
Data were collected through a mailed survey; analyses included multinominal logistic regression and descriptive statistics.


RESULTS
A total of 941 (27%) nurses completed the survey. The majority of respondents reported limited bioterrorism-related training. Fewer than 10% were confident in their ability to diagnose or treat bioterrorism-related conditions. Although only 30% expressed a willingness to collaborate with state and local authorities during a bioterrorism event, more than 69% indicated interest in future training opportunities. Preferred training modalities included small group workshops with instructor-led training, and Internet-based training.


CONCLUSIONS
Licensing agencies, professional organizations, and community constituencies may need to play a stronger role in improving the bioterrorism-related emergency preparedness of rural nurses.
Jacobson
Holly E
HE
University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968-0531, USA. hejacobson@utep.edu
Soto Mas
Francisco
F
Hsu
Chiehwen Ed
CE
Turley
James P
JP
Miller
Jerry
J
Kim
Misu
M
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D023482:Bioterrorism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002959:Civil Defense; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000458:organization & administration; D004630:Emergencies / Q000451:nursing; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D016015:Logistic Models; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D011637:Public Health Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013221:State Health Plans; D013781:Texas