Aims: This study identified clinical nurses' awareness of emergency codes and disaster nursing competencies and investigated the relationships between these variables.
Background: Nurses are on the front lines of disaster and emergency response; however, they report not feeling confident about their disaster preparedness.
Methods: Participants included 234 nurses working at a general hospital in Korea. Emergency code awareness was measured by recognition of and self-confidence in eight emergency codes, and disaster nursing competencies were measured using the Disaster Nursing Preparedness Response Competency Scale. Data were collected from 17 to 23 October 2019.
Results: The recognition rate of emergency codes was 87.4%, whereas the level of self-confidence was 3.30 out of 5. Nurses scored 2.98 out of 5 on disaster preparedness competencies and 3.37 out of 5 on disaster response competencies. Emergency code recognition was positively correlated with self-confidence and disaster nursing competencies (p < .05).
Conclusion: Higher recognition of emergency codes among clinical nurses was associated with higher self-confidence and disaster nursing competencies. Further studies need to develop strategies to improve nurses' awareness and confidence concerning emergency codes.
Implications for nursing management: Nurse managers should pay attention to provide more opportunities for disaster education to improve nurses' self-confidence and disaster nursing competencies.
Keywords: competencies; disaster nursing; emergency code; nurses; self-confidence.
© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.