Willingness of university nursing students to volunteer during a pandemic.
OBJECTIVE
The global threat of an influenza pandemic continues to grow and thus universities have begun emergency preparedness planning. This study examined stakeholder's knowledge, risk-perception, and willingness to volunteer.


METHODS
The design of this study is a cross-sectional survey. Questionnaires were sent to 1,512 nursing students and were returned by 484, yielding a response rate of 32% for this subgroup. Nursing students may be a much-needed human resource in the event of an influenza pandemic.


METHODS
The measurement tool was a Web-based questionnaire regarding pandemic influenza designed by a subgroup of researchers on the Public Health Response Committee.


RESULTS
Most nursing students (67.9%) said they were likely to volunteer in the event of a pandemic if they were able to do so. An even higher number (77.4%) said they would volunteer if provided protective garments. Overall, 70.7% of students supported the proposition that nursing students have a professional obligation to volunteer during a pandemic. Nursing students indicated that they have had a wealth of volunteer experience in the past and they would apply this service ethic to a pandemic situation.


CONCLUSIONS
Emergency preparedness competencies should be integrated into existing nursing curricula and other health science programs. University administrations need to engage in planning to create protocol for recruitment, practice, and protection of volunteers.
Yonge
Olive
O
Academics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. olive.yonge@ualberta.ca
Rosychuk
Rhonda J
RJ
Bailey
Tracey M
TM
Lake
Rob
R
Marrie
Thomas J
TJ
D000041:Absenteeism; D000416:Alberta; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D028681:Moral Obligations; D009042:Motivation; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D011481:Protective Clothing; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D014838:Volunteers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data