Objective:To assess the knowledge of Chinese nurses regarding disaster and emergency preparedness and its related factors.Methods:A total of 1 950 nurses were randomly selected from 152 hospitals of 30 provinces and municipalities in China. Two questionnaires were used to collect general data and associated information. The scale of nurse disaster emergency knowledge includes six dimensions: the function of emergency command system (ICS), the role, triage, communication, special care and isolation decontamination, report and access to important resources, biological agents. All of the data were analyzed with SPSS 20.0.Results:Totally 1 950 valid questionnaires were collected. The average score of Chinese nurses was (147.5 ± 33.8) (index value: 73.75%), which was at a middle level. And it was greater than that of the domestic norm. Among the six dimensions, knowledge of triage yielded the highest score (21.25 ± 5.55) (index value: 85.00%), and knowledge of biologics had the lowest score (10.21 ± 3.00) (index value: 68.07%). Education background, professional title, job position, experience, training and identity also were important associated factors ( t values were -4.107-12.376, P<0.01). Conclusion:Chinese nurses have a moderate level of knowledge of disaster and emergency preparedness. Health administrators should constantly enhance framework for disaster and emergency nursing core competencies, and enrich the content and methods of training. Further, simulation-based training and participation in large-scale disaster relief could improve nurses knowledge of disaster and emergency preparedness.