title: Chinese nurses' relief experiences following two earthquakes: implications for disaster education and policy development.
abstract: Disasters require well trained nurses but disaster nursing education is very limited in China and evidence is urgently required for future planning and implementation of specialized disaster education. This describes the themes arising from narratives of Chinese registered nurses who worked in disaster relief after two major earthquakes. In-depth interviews were held with 12 registered nurses from Hubei Province. Riessman's narrative inquiry method was used to develop individual stories and themes, and socio-cultural theory informed this study. Five themes emerged: unbeatable challenges; qualities of a disaster nurse; mental health and trauma; poor disaster planning and co-ordination; and urgently needed disaster education. Participants were challenged by rudimentary living conditions, a lack of medical equipment, earthquake aftershocks, and cultural differences in the people they cared for. Participants placed importance on the development of teamwork abilities, critical thinking skills, management abilities of nurses in disasters, and the urgency to build a better disaster response system in China in which professional nurses could more actively contribute their skills and knowledge. Our findings concur with previous research and emphasize the urgency for health leaders across China to develop and implement disaster nursing education policies and programs.
authors: HOPE School of Nursing, Wuhan University, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. Electronic address: 912210150@qq.com.
authors: Zhou
authors: Z
authors: Wenji
authors: Faculty of Nursing, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Electronic address: INReditor@icn.ch.
authors: Sue
authors: S
authors: Turale
authors: Yamaguchi University Faculty of Nursing, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan. Electronic address: teriston@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp.
authors: Teresa E
authors: TE
authors: Stone
authors: HOPE School of Nursing, Wuhan University, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. Electronic address: petrinima2012@gmail.com.
authors: Marcia A
authors: MA
authors: Petrini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002681:China; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D055866:Earthquakes; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D004638:Emergency Treatment / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D024802:Nurse's Role; D011050:Policy Making; D012066:Relief Work / Q000458:organization & administration
keywords: Disaster nursing; Disaster relief; Earthquakes; Narrative inquiry; Nursing education