title: Impact of an Education Intervention on Missouri K-12 School Disaster and Biological Event Preparedness.
abstract: A 2011 nationwide school pandemic preparedness study found schools to be deficient. We examined the impact of a school nurse educational intervention aimed at improving K-12 school biological event preparedness.
  
  
  
  Missouri Association of School Nurses (MASN) members were e-mailed a survey link in fall 2013 (ie, preintervention), links to online education modules (ie, intervention) in late fall, and a postintervention survey link in spring, 2014. School biological event readiness was measured using 35 indicators, for a possible score range of 0-35. A paired t-test compared pre- to postintervention preparedness scores.
  
  
  
  A total of 133 school nurses (33.6% response rate) completed a survey; 35.3% of those (N = 47) completed both pre- and postintervention survey that could be matched. Pre- and postintervention preparedness scores ranged from 5 to 28.5 (x‾ = 13.3) and 6.5 to 25 (x‾ = 14.8), respectively. Postintervention scores were significantly higher than preintervention scores for those who watched at least 1 module (t = -2.3, p < .05).
  
  
  
  The education intervention was effective at improving school preparedness, though the impact was small. The education intervention needs to be reassessed, especially in regard to providing a longer intervention period.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biosecurity, Saint Louis University, College for Public Health & Social Justice, 3545 Lafayette Avenue Room 463, Saint Louis, MO 63104; Professor, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Saint Louis University, College for Public Health & Social Justice, 3545 Lafayette Avenue Room 463, Saint Louis, MO 63104. rebmannt@slu.edu.
authors.forename: Terri
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rebmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Saint Louis University, College for Public Health & Social Justice, 3545 Lafayette Avenue Room 478, Saint Louis, MO 63104. elliotmb@slu.edu.
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Saint Louis University, 3525 Caroline Street 5th floor, St. Louis, MO 63104-1099. artmandn@slu.edu.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Artman
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biosecurity, Saint Louis University, College for Public Health & Social Justice, 3545 Lafayette Avenue Room 463, Saint Louis, MO 63104; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Saint Louis University, College for Public Health & Social Justice, 3545 Lafayette Avenue Room 463, Saint Louis, MO 63104. mvannatt@slu.edu.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: VanNatta
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biosecurity, Saint Louis University, College for Public Health & Social Justice, 3545 Lafayette Avenue Room 463, Saint Louis, MO 63104; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Saint Louis University, College for Public Health & Social Justice, 3545 Lafayette Avenue Room 463, Saint Louis, MO 63104. wakefieldm@slu.edu.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wakefield
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055885:Biohazard Release; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000379:methods*; D020375:Education, Distance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008923:Missouri; D012573:School Nursing / Q000193:education*
keywords: disaster preparedness; influenza; pandemic; school nurses; terrorism