Enhancing Nurses&rsquo; Competencies and Interdisciplinary Collaboration for Effective Public Health Emergency Preparedness

Faisal Fahd Misfer Al-Qahtani; Ahmad Ayad M Anazi; Turki Mohammed Al-Turaiki; &rlm;Saleh Hulays Alharbi; Mohammed Menwer Alruwaili; Adil Mubarak Alotaibi; Mokhld Sanhat Alotaibi; Badr Talhab Ayed Al-Anzi

doi:10.25163/primeasia.4110079

Multidisciplinary research and review journal | Online ISSN 3064-9870

REVIEWS (Open Access)

Enhancing Nurses’ Competencies and Interdisciplinary Collaboration for Effective Public Health Emergency Preparedness

Faisal Fahd Misfer Al-Qahtani ¹*, Ahmad Ayad M Anazi ¹, Turki Mohammed Al-Turaiki ¹, ‏Saleh Hulays Alharbi ¹, Mohammed Menwer Alruwaili ¹, Adil Mubarak Alotaibi ¹, Mokhld Sanhat Alotaibi ¹, Badr Talhab Ayed Al-Anzi¹

+ Author Affiliations

Journal of Primeasia 4 (1) 1-8 https://doi.org/10.25163/primeasia.4110079

Submitted: 13 November 2022 Revised: 06 January 2023 Published: 07 January 2023

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role of nurses in public health emergencies, necessitating a reassessment of training and preparedness strategies. Competency-based training programs have primarily focused on technical knowledge, overlooking cultural and personal attributes that influence performance in crises. Enhancing collaborative efforts between nurses and pharmacists can further optimize responses to public health emergencies. Methods: A scoping review was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of training programs aimed at developing nurses' competencies during infectious disease outbreaks. Assessment tools such as the Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool (DPET) and Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire (EPIQ) were analyzed across diverse geographic and cultural contexts, including their applicability in China, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and Indonesia. The implications of interdisciplinary collaboration between nurses and pharmacists were also examined, alongside constraints such as language bias and cultural perspectives in the reviewed studies. Results: The findings revealed that competency-based training programs often neglect cultural and personal attributes, which are essential for fostering initiative and adaptability among nurses. Tools like DPET and EPIQ demonstrated reliability and validity in assessing disaster preparedness across various nations. Enhanced collaboration between nurses and pharmacists was shown to improve medication management, patient safety, and therapeutic outcomes during crises. However, conceptual and language biases in the studies reviewed limit generalizability. Conclusion: To better equip nurses for future public health emergencies, training programs must integrate cultural and personal competencies alongside technical skills. Collaborative interdisciplinary initiatives, particularly between nurses and pharmacists, can enhance emergency responses and patient care. Addressing the identified constraints in research methodologies will contribute to more comprehensive preparedness strategies and strengthen global healthcare resilience.

Keywords: Nurse training, Public health emergencies, Competency assessment, Interdisciplinary collaboration, Emergency preparedness

References

Al Khalaileh, M. A., Bond, E., & Alasad, J. A. (2012). Jordanian nurses’ perceptions of their preparedness for disaster management. International Emergency Nursing, 20(1), 14–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ienj.2011.01.001

Al Thobaity, A., Plummer, V., & Williams, B. (2017). What are the most common domains of the core competencies of disaster nursing? A scoping review. International Emergency Nursing, 31, 64–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ienj.2016.12.003

Al Thobaity, A., Plummer, V., Innes, K., & Copnell, B. (2015). Perceptions of knowledge of disaster management among military and civilian nurses in Saudi Arabia. Australasian Emergency Nursing Journal, 18(3), 156–164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aenj.2015.02.001

Alfandre, D., Sharpe, V. A., Geppert, C., Foglia, M. B., Berkowitz, K., Chanko, B., & Schonfeld, T. (2021). Between usual and crisis phases of a public health emergency: The mediating role of contingency measures. American Journal of Bioethics, 21(8). https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2021.1942075

American Nurses Association. (2001). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretative statements.

Azizpour, I., Mehri, S., & Soola, A. H. (2022). Disaster preparedness knowledge and its relationship with triage decision-making among hospital and pre-hospital emergency nurses - Ardabil, Iran. BMC Health Services Research, 22(1), 934. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-08390-w

Barrios, M., Guilera, G., Nuño, L., & Gómez-Benito, J. (2021). Consensus in the Delphi method: What makes a decision change? Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 163, 120484. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120484

Brencic, D. J., Pinto, M., Gill, A., Kinzer, M. H., Hernandez, L., & Pasi, O. G. (2017). CDC support for global public health emergency management. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 23(13), S183–S189. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2313.170370

Chen, T.-F., Chou, K.-R., Liao, Y.-M., Ho, C.-H., & Chung, M.-H. (2015). Construct validity and reliability of the Chinese version of the disaster preparedness evaluation tool in Taiwan. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 24(7–8), 1132–1143. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.12730

Chiossi, S., Tsolova, S., & Ciotti, M. (2021). Assessing public health emergency preparedness: A scoping review on recent tools and methods. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 56, 102104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102104

Chua, B. S., Cosmas, G., Arsat, N., & Wider, W. (2022). Do contextual and demographic factors help Malaysian nurses prepare in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(9), 5502. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095502

Department of Health. (2020). Updates on novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Department of Management. (2018). Prevention preparedness, response, and recovery disaster management guideline. Retrieved from http://www.disaster.qld.gov.au/dmg/Pages/default.aspx

Fung, O. W. M., Loke, A. Y., & Lai, C. K. Y. (2008). Disaster preparedness among Hong Kong nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 62(6), 698–703. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2008.04655.x

Galehdar, N., Kamran, A., Toulabi, T., & Heydari, H. (2020). Exploring nurses’ experiences of psychological distress during care of patients with COVID-19: A qualitative study. BMC Psychiatry, 20(1), 489. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02898-1

Ghazi, B. O. (2021). Preparedness assessment for managing disasters among nurses in an international setting: Implications for nurses. International Emergency Nursing, 56, 100993. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ienj.2020.100993

Guilamo-Ramos, V., Thimm-Kaiser, M., Benzekri, A., Hidalgo, A., Lanier, Y., Tlou, S., de Lourdes Rosas López, M., Soletti, A. B., & Hagan, H. (2021). Nurses at the frontline of public health emergency preparedness and response: Lessons learned from the HIV/AIDS pandemic and emerging infectious disease outbreaks. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 21(10), e326–e333. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00158-2

Horrocks, P., Hobbs, L., Tippett, V., & Aitken, P. (2019). Paramedic disaster health management competencies: A scoping review. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 34(3), 322–329. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049023X19004588

International Council of Nursing (ICN). (2019). Core competencies in disaster nursing (Version 2.0). Geneva, Switzerland: International Council of Nursing.

Jain, N. K., Tirupathi, R., & Palabindala, V. (2020). Coronavirus: Managing a resource crunch and ethical challenges.

Jouparinejad, S., Foroughameri, G., Khajouei, R., & Farokhzadian, J. (2020). Improving the informatics competency of critical care nurses: Results of an interventional study in the southeast of Iran. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 20(1), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-020-01290-y

Khan, I., Ali, A., Waqas, T., Ullah, S., Ullah, S., Shah, A. A., & Imran, S. (2022). Investing in disaster relief and recovery: A reactive approach of disaster management in Pakistan. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 75, 102975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.102975

Labrague, L. J., & De Los Santos, J. A. A. (2020). COVID-19 anxiety among front-line nurses: Predictive role of organizational support, personal resilience, and social support. Journal of Nursing Management, 28(7), 1653–1661. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13121

Ling, K. W. K., & Daily, E. K. (2016). Linking competency with training needs: Session summary on disaster studies and evaluation, session BO-17. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 31(1), 117–118. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049023X16000094

Lord, H., Loveday, C., Moxham, L., & Fernandez, R. (2021). Effective communication is key to intensive care nurses’ willingness to provide nursing care amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Intensive and Critical Care Nursing, 62, 102946. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iccn.2021.102946

Lurie, N., Manolio, T., Patterson, A. P., Collins, F., & Frieden, T. (2013). Research as a part of public health emergency response. The New England Journal of Medicine, 368(13), 1251–1255. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMsb1209510

Maketa, V., Luzolo, F., Muhindo Mavoko, H., et al. (2022). Boosting ethics review capacity in public health emergency situations: Co-creation of a training model for French-speaking research ethics committees. Tropical Medicine and International Health, 27(10), 934–940. https://doi.org/10.1111/tmi.13746

Martono, M., Satino, S., Nursalam, N., Efendi, F., & Bushy, A. (2019). Indonesian nurses’ perception of disaster management preparedness. Chinese Journal of Traumatology, 22(1), 41–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjtee.2018.11.002

McGarity, T., Acker, K., & Baldwin, S. (2022). COVID-19, nurse competency, and readiness: The value of just-in-time education. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 38(2), 88–91. https://doi.org/10.1097/NND.0000000000000825

McLoughlin, D. (1985). A framework for integrated emergency management. Public Administration Review, 45, 165–172. https://doi.org/10.2307/3135021

Michibayashi, C., Omote, S., Nakamura, M., Okamoto, R., & Nakada, A. I. (2020). Competency model for public health nurses working on tobacco control in local governments in Japan: A qualitative study. Japanese Journal of Nursing Science, 17(1), e12288. https://doi.org/10.1111/jjns.12288

Ortega, R., Gonzalez, M., Nozari, A., & Canelli, R. (2020). Personal protective equipment and COVID-19. The New England Journal of Medicine, 382(26), e105. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMvcm2014809

Öztekin, S. D., Larson, E. E., Akahoshi, M., & Öztekin, I. (2016). Japanese nurses’ perception of their preparedness for disasters: Quantitative survey research on one prefecture in Japan. Japanese Journal of Nursing Science, 13(3), 391–401. https://doi.org/10.1111/jjns.12110

Patil, U., Kostareva, U., Hadley, M., Manganello, J. A., Okan, O., Dadaczynski, K., Massey, P. M., Agner, J., & Sentell, T. (2021). Health literacy, digital health literacy, and COVID-19 pandemic attitudes and behaviors in U.S. college students: Implications for interventions. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(6). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18063254

Saleh, B. M., Aly, E. M., Hafiz, M., Abdel Gawad, R. M., El Kheir-Mataria, W. A., & Salama, M. (2021). Ethical dimensions of public health actions and policies with special focus on COVID-19. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 649918. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.649918

Santinha, G., Forte, T., & Gomes, A. (2022). Willingness to work during public health emergencies: A systematic literature review. Healthcare, 10(8), 1500. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10081500

Serra-Barril, M. A., Benito-Aracil, L., Pla-Consuegra, M., & Ferro-García, T. (2022). Delphi survey on the application of advanced practice nursing competencies: Strong points and unfinished business in cancer care. Journal of Nursing Management, 30(8), 4339–4353. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13594

Shin, S., & Yoo, H. J. (2022). Frontline nurses’ caring experiences in COVID-19 units: A qualitative study. Journal of Nursing Management, 30(5), 1087–1095. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13648

Simonovich, S. D., Spurlark, R. S., Badowski, D., et al. (2021). Examining effective communication in nursing practice during COVID-19: A large-scale qualitative study. International Nursing Review, 68(4), 512–523. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12723

Solbakken, R., Bergdahl, E., Rudolfsson, G., & Bondas, T. (2018). International nursing: Caring in nursing leadership—A meta-ethnography from the nurse leader's perspective. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 42(4), 298–306. https://doi.org/10.1097/NAQ.0000000000000317

Tabiee, S., & Nakhaei, M. (2016). Nurses' preparedness for disaster in South Khorasan Province, Iran. Health Emergency and Disasters Quarterly, 2(1), 13–18.

Tambo, E., & Al-Nazawi, A. M. (2022). Combating the global spread of poverty-related Monkeypox outbreaks and beyond. Infectious Diseases of Poverty, 11(1), 80. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-022-00977-3

U.S. Department of Education. (2001). National Center for Education Statistics: Defining and assessing learning: Exploring competency-based initiatives. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.

Usher, K., Mills, J., West, C., Casella, E., Dorji, P., Guo, A., ... & Phouthavong, O. (2015). Cross-sectional survey of the disaster preparedness of nurses across the Asia-Pacific region. Nursing & Health Sciences, 17(4), 434–443. https://doi.org/10.1111/nhs.12223

Wang, H., Sun, J., Shi, Y., & Shen, T. (2022). Driving the effectiveness of public health emergency management strategies through cross-departmental collaboration: Configuration analysis based on 15 cities in China. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 1032576. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1032576

Wielenga, J. M., Tume, L. N., Latour, J. M., & van den Hoogen, A. (2015). European neonatal intensive care nursing research priorities: An e-Delphi study. Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition, 100(1), F66–F71. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2014-306146

World Health Organization. (2015). Framework for a public health emergency operations center.

Worrall, J. (2012). Are emergency care staff prepared for disaster? Emergency Nurse, 19(9), 31–37. https://doi.org/10.7748/en2012.01.19.9.31.c8915

Wu, C., Wu, P., Li, P., Cheng, F., Du, Y., He, S., & Lang, H. (2021). Construction of an index system of core competence assessment for infectious disease specialist nurses in China: A Delphi study. BMC Infectious Diseases, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-021-05972-3

Yarmohammadian, M. H., Atighechian, G., Shams, L., & Haghshenas, A. (2011). Are hospitals ready to respond to disasters? Challenges, opportunities, and strategies of the Hospital Emergency Incident Command System (HEICS). Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 16(8), 1070–1077.

Ye, Q., Yang, J., Cheng, Y., & Weiguo, D. (2020). How to strengthen the training on hospital infection control during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chinese Journal of Medical Education, 40(7), 490–494.

PDF
Abstract
Export Citation

View Dimensions

View Plumx

View Altmetric

Save

0
Citation

55
View

Share