When participating in international disaster relief operations (IDR), medical staff must work under limited human resources and medical equipment. The actual role of a nurse in IDR has not yet been clarified, while the role of a doctor is relatively clear.
In this study, we have examined the actual role of nurses in IDR through a survey by questionnaire to 61 medical staff who have worked in past IDR. Full usable responses were received from 50 (82%) of them. These 50 were consisted of 24 doctors, 17 nurses, and 9 medical coordinators. The questionnaire was distributed from September 1 to December 31 in 2005. We investigated 17 activities reported variously in the literature;-setting up temporary medical facilities, inside arrangements, health care of the medical staff, coordination within the team, keeping medical records, performing triage, wound irrigation, debridement, performing incisions, removing stitches, suturing, reception of patients, medical interview of patients, assisting a doctor performing medical examination and treatment, management of commodities, management of medical waste, management of medical records, and conventional nursing care. The questionnaire asked the respondent to indicate a level of appropriate for a nurse to perform each of the activities in IDR.
Provided that the nurse had a basic national licence in nursing and IDR education and training, then triage and wound irrigation were each considered appropriate during IDR with a doctor supervising, beyond the conventional nursing role. But suturing, performing incisions, removing stitches, and debridement were each considered to be problematic for nurses.