This paper describes the COVID-19 response efforts through strategic partnerships of a nursing school in the Philippines. The roles of the academe through teaching as well as continuing education and community extension services programs were particularly harnessed. Existing academe-government-community partnerships were leveraged, and personal networks mobilized to provide support on risk communication, community engagement, and capacity building. Challenges and limitations encountered serve as points for improving the academe's strategies and activities. The lessons from this undertaking highlight the crucial role of nursing schools as relevant resources in COVID-19 pandemic response initiatives. Partnerships and networks built prior to the pandemic are instrumental in providing the space and opportunities for faculty and student nurses to aid in strengthening the local response. Recommendations are outlined to enhance current roles, strategies, and activities of the academe in the COVID-19 pandemic and lay future directions for Philippine nursing schools given the increasing incidence and severity of disasters in the country.
Public Health Nursing ; Disaster response ; Disaster nursing ; COVID-19

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing personal disaster preparation and disaster nursing core competency among visiting nurses in public health centers. METHODS: A descriptive survey study was adopted. A convenience sample was taken from 277 subjects in three regions. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, correlation, Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression. RESULTS: The mean personal disaster preparation and disaster nursing core competency scores were 11.13 and 76.87, respectively. Personal disaster preparation was statistically significant by experience of disaster victims and disaster management guideline. Disaster nursing core competency was statistically significant by participation in future disaster recovery. As a result of multiple regression analysis, personal disaster preparation accounted for 14.9 of the variance by experience of disaster victims and disaster management guidelines; disaster nursing core competency accounted for 8.9 of the variance by perception of disaster nursing. CONCLUSION: Although visiting nurses are ill-prepared for disaster, global natural and man-made disasters can occur regardless of time and place. Disaster education and training should therefore be included in nurses' fundamental education.
Disaster Victims ; Disasters* ; Education ; Humans ; Nurses, Community Health* ; Nursing ; Public Health*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to assess socio-demographic, disaster-related, physical health-related, psychological, and social factors that may adversely affect disaster victims' QoL (Quality of Life). METHODS: A cross sectional study was designed by using the secondary data. From the 3rd Disaster Victims Panel Survey (2012~2017), a total of 1,659 data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics including frequency, percentage, t-test, ANOVA, and multivariate linear regression. RESULTS: Older people with lower health status lacking financial resources prior to a disaster were more at risk of low levels of QoL. Lower levels of perceived health status, resilience, and QoL were reported by disaster exposed individuals, while their depression was higher than the depression in the control group of disaster unexposed ones. Resilience, social and material supports were positively associated with QoL whereas depression and PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders) were negatively associated. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that psychological symptoms and loss due to disasters can have adverse impacts on the QoL of disaster victims in accordance with their prior socio-demographic background. They also indicate that targeted post-disaster community nursing intervention should be considered a means of increased social support as well as physical and mental health care for disaster victims.
Depression ; Disaster Victims ; Disasters ; Linear Models ; Mental Health ; Nursing ; Quality of Life ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

PURPOSE: Effective triage at the emergency department entrance is the key to dealing with mass casualty incidents. However, in Korea, triage has been accomplished at the disaster scene or at the hospital in only a few cases. Thus, we report on the planning and preparation for triage at Asan Medical Center (AMC) for mass casualty incidents. METHODS: We review the AMC disaster plan and the triage systems used in previous disasters. Also, we review triage principles appearing in the literature. We describe basic hospital triage principles, which include the treatment site, the triage site, the triage officer, triage categories, and triage tags. RESULTS: 1) For external disaster, the emergency department is reassigned to four treatment sites before patients arrive. At the triage site, an emergency medicine specialist classifies patients into six groups according to treatment priority and resources. After classification, a triage tag is attached to each patient, and patients are moved to the previously designated treatment site. 2) For internal disaster, the head nurse (or senior nurse) classifies patients into three groups: urgent, minor, and delayed. The minor group is sent to the casualty collection point while the urgent and delayed groups are moved to the triage site. CONCLUSION: Hospitals should prepare a disaster plan. In particular, preplanning for triage is essential to cope with internal and external disasters. In addition, emergency medicine specialists should play a key role in disaster planning and are essential for successful implementation of the disaster plan.
Chungcheongnam-do ; Classification ; Disaster Planning ; Disasters ; Emergency Medicine ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Casualty Incidents* ; Nursing, Supervisory ; Specialization ; Triage*

PURPOSE: This study aimed to (1) explore current levels of quality of life, depression, resilience and social support and (2) investigate factors associated with quality of life among parents who lost children in the Sewol ferry disaster. METHODS: Data for this descriptive and correlation study was collected from December 2016 to June 2017. Structured questionnaires were completed by 114 parents. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multivariate linear regression. RESULTS: Lower levels of quality of life were reported by parents with no current occupation, who considered emotional support by others as not helpful, not disclosing self as family of a victim, experiencing change in social activities related to the disaster, and not participating in bereavement activities with other families (all p values <.05). Factors associated with quality of life were depression (β=−.53) and resilience (β=.26) and explained 48.0% variance (F=50.37, p<.001), while social support was not a significant factor. CONCLUSION: Our study findings provide fundamental information on the mental health status of families of the Sewol ferry disaster victims. Nursing interventions to improve quality of life of parents who lost their children in the disaster should emphasize both managing depression and improving resilience.
Bereavement ; Child ; Depression ; Disaster Victims ; Disasters ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Mental Health ; Nursing ; Occupations ; Parents ; Quality of Life ; Resilience, Psychological ; Statistics as Topic

PURPOSE: Using a quantitative approach, this study aims to assess Indonesian nurses' perception of their knowledge, skills, and preparedness regarding disaster management. METHODS: This study was a descriptive comparison in design. The research samples are Indonesian nurses working in medical services and educational institutions. The variables of nurses' preparedness to cope with disaster victims were measured using the Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool (DPET), which was electronically distributed to all nurses in Indonesia. Data were analyzed using a statistical descriptive one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and t-test with a significance level of 95%. RESULTS: In total, 1341 Indonesian nurses completed this survey. The average scores of preparedness to cope with disasters, the ability to recover from disaster, and evaluation of disaster victims were 3.13, 2.53, and 2.46, respectively. In general, nurses surveyed in this study are less prepared for disaster management, and do not understand their roles both during the phase of disaster preparedness, and when coping with a post-disaster situation. CONCLUSION Nurses' preparedness and understanding of their roles in coping with disasters are still low in Indonesia. Therefore, their capacity in preparedness, responses, recovery, and evaluation of disasters needs improvement through continuing education. The efforts needed are significant due to potential disasters in Indonesia and adequate nurses resources.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; Civil Defense ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Disaster Planning ; Disaster Victims ; Education, Nursing, Continuing ; Female ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Indonesia ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nurses ; psychology ; Perception ; Professional Role ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult