Exploring disaster nursing core competencies and roles in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)

Aim: The primary aim of this study was to develop a valid, reliable scale that identified and explored the core competencies of disaster nursing, nurses’ roles, and the barriers to developing disaster nursing management in Saudi Arabia. Background: Nurses must have the essential skills, knowledge, and attitudes to be ready, able, and more willing to respond to any type of disaster. This study is significant for several reasons. First, the current literature does not explore disaster nursing in Saudi Arabia; thus, this study will be the initial step in creating a body of literature on the subject for that country. Second, this study will be the first to provide evidence to employers, nurse educators, researchers, government officials and emergency services about the roles, essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for disaster nursing in Saudi Arabia. Finally, the research is expected to inform clinical leadership in this advanced practice area. Design: This research was based on a pragmatic paradigm that permitted the use of the sequential methods approach that was selected for the study design. This study design had two phases. First, the quantitative phase involved three stages: pre-pilot, pilot, and national. The aim of the pre-pilot study was to generate items of questioners and then validate and test the stability of the scale through testing and retesting. The pilot study deleted redundant items, summarised the data into small sets, and produced a new scale using principal component analysis (PCA). The national study aimed to identify the core competencies, roles, and barriers inherent in disaster nursing, as well as the strength of the dimensionality of the constructs of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). In the second phase, the meanings of the most important findings from the national study were elaborated upon to develop better understanding of them. Results: In the pre-pilot study, a new scale was developed and its psychometric properties measured. The relevant literature generated 93 items that were valid in terms of both face and content validity and that were stable over time. The pilot study, in which 132 emergency nurses participated, resulted in 49 of the 93 items being deleted as redundant, and the remaining 44 items being summarised into three factors: core competencies; barriers and roles with good to excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alphas ranging from 0.86‒0.98). The most important core competencies for nurses in disaster nursing were found to be planning, communication, ethics, and triaging. The most important roles for nurses were in education and drilling, with a lesser role in planning. The main barriers to developing disaster management in Saudi Arabia were found to be research, education, qualification, and resources. The national study included 833 nurses as participants. Data were summarised into four factors: knowledge; barriers; roles and skills that also had excellent high reliability (ranging from 0.86‒0.98). In addition, these four factors had good construct validity, as CFA indicated a goodness of fit for all factors. Similar to the results of the pilot study, the national study found the most important core competencies to be planning, communication, and ethics. The most important roles were participating in education and drills. The most important barriers were education, research, qualification, and resources. Conclusions: This study has implications for developing and improving disaster planning. Recommendations included the following: 1) emphasising the identified core competencies in all disaster planning; 2) instituting drill plans; 3) recognizing the importance of the purpose and content of disaster plans; 4) addressing the identified communication, ethical, and cultural issues in all disaster planning; 5) involving emergency nurses in disaster planning; 6) planning for decontamination; and 7) improving disaster planning, since it was found to be a barrier to developing disaster nursing in Saudi Arabia

A new scale for disaster nursing core competencies : Development and psychometric testing

Background: All nurses must have core competencies in preparing for, responding to and recovering from a disaster. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), as in many other countries, disaster nursing core competencies are not fully understood and lack reliable, validated tools. Thus, it is imperative to develop a scale for exploring disaster nursing core competencies, roles and barriers in the KSA. Objectives: This study's objective is to develop a valid, reliable scale that identifies and explores core competencies of disaster nursing, nurses' roles in disaster management and barriers to developing disaster nursing in the KSA. Methods: This study developed a new scale testing its validity and reliability. A principal component analysis (PCA) was used to develop and test psychometric properties of the new scale. The PCA used a purposive sample of nurses from emergency departments in two hospitals in the KSA. Participants rated 93 paper-based, self-report questionnaire items from 1 to 10 on a Likert scale. PCA using Varimax rotation was conducted to explore factors emerging from responses. Findings: The study's participants were 132 nurses (66% response rate). PCA of the 93 questionnaire items revealed 49 redundant items (which were deleted) and 3 factors with eigenvalues of >1. The remaining 44 items accounted for 77.3% of the total variance. The overall Cronbach's alpha was 0.96 for all factors: 0.98 for Factor 1, 0.92 for Factor 2 and 0.86 for Factor 3. Conclusions: This study provided a validated, reliable scale for exploring nurses' core competencies, nurses' roles and barriers to developing disaster nursing in the KSA. The new scale has many implications, such as for improving education, planning and curricula. © 2015

Factors affecting Nursing Performance during COVID- 19 Period at Taif Government Hospitals

During epidemics, nurses play a crucial role in reducing direct exposures and offering direct patient care. The main purpose of the present study was to identify the factors affecting nursing performance during the COVID-19 period in Taif  Government hospitals, Taif City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 580 nurses from thirteen government hospitals in Taif, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a survey consisting of a 24-item checklist. Descriptive statistics were done, and inferential statistics were done by SPSS. Ethical considerations were strictly followed throughout the study. The findings of this study demonstrated that the constant fear of infection, uncertainty about the future, and nurse burnout were the main factors influencing nursing performance. Additionally, the results indicated that more than half of staff nurses in different hospitals in Taif reported experiencing mild to moderate symptoms of mental health problems, anxiety, depression, and burnout. Lastly, nursing shortages, prolonged shifts, limited access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), and increased workloads were the main secondary contributory factors affecting nursing performance. Evidence from the study suggests that nurses across government hospitals in Saudi Arabia require massive support to handle mounting COVID-19 infections. From receiving PPEs to minimizing staffing shortages and emotional support and counselling, nurses must be at the forefront of care. This will aid nurses in carrying out their duties effectively in the fight against COVID-19. Most importantly, hospitals must ensure that all nurses operate in conducive environments with increased attention to their physical and mental wellbeing

Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Outbreak as Experienced by ICU Nurses: Manifest Qualitative Content Analysis

From the moment the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic, intensive care unit (ICU) nurses struggled to care for the COVID-19 patients. As the pandemic became increasingly critical, the task of daily care for critically ill patients fell upon the shoulders of ICU nurses. Understanding the lived experience of ICU nurses, as well as their perception of the experience, is important to identify key lessons to further improve ICU nurses’ psychological well-being and resilience. This study explored the lived experiences of ICU nurses who cared for COVID-19 patients using exploratory manifest qualitative content analysis. The findings of this study revealed that these ICU nurses offer important information concerning the crucial role of nurses’ family support and religious–spiritual practices in helping them to maintain well-being and cope with the intense situations caused by the pandemic. The lessons emerging from the study findings show that family support and religious–spiritual practices are resources for coping and resilience in times of future pandemics. This implies that ICU nurses who provide care during stressful emergency surges require relief by nurses working in other areas to provide them the opportunity to rest, reconnect with family and become emotionally re-energized

SELF-COMPASSION INFLUENCES THE CARING BEHAVIOUR AND COMPASSION COMPETENCE AMONG SAUDI NURSING STUDENTS: A MULTI-UNIVERSITY STUDY

This research investigated the perceptions of Saudi nursing students regarding self-compassion and examined its influence on their caring behaviour and compas-sion competenc

Exploring Factors and Challenges Influencing Nursing Interns’ Training Experiences in Emergency Departments in Saudi Arabia

This study aims to investigate nursing interns’ training experiences in emergency departments (EDs) in Saudi Arabia and explore the factors influencing their experiences. A descriptive research design was employed utilizing a survey distributed to nursing interns who completed their ED rotation within the last three months. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 27, and principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted to identify the challenges encountered by the interns. This study analyzed the responses of 126 nursing internship students in various regions of Saudi Arabia to assess their training experiences in emergency departments. The principal component analysis revealed two significant factors: (1) “Emergency Department Training and Skill Development”, which focused on challenges faced during training, and (2) “Integrated Emergency Department Training and Competence Development”, which provided a holistic view of nursing internship students’ experiences and preparedness for their careers. The results indicated moderately below-average challenges and a moderately positive overall training experience. The findings suggest a need to address these challenges to improve the training experience and better prepare nursing internship students for careers in emergency departments. This study recommends enhancing the nursing curricula alignment with practical training objectives, focusing on technical and interpersonal skills development. A supportive learning environment in emergency departments is crucial, including effective communication and collaboration. Diverse clinical experiences and reflection on training can guide students in exploring potential career paths in emergency departments or other specialized nursing areas

Exploring nurses’ awareness and attitudes toward artificial intelligence: Implications for nursing practice

Introduction Worldwide, healthcare systems aim to achieve the best possible quality of care at an affordable cost while ensuring broad access for all populations. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare holds promise to address these challenges through the integration of real-world data-driven insights into patient care processes. This study aims to assess nurses’ awareness and attitudes toward AI-integrated tools used in clinical practice. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional design captured nurses’ responses at three governmental hospitals in Saudi Arabia by using an online questionnaire administered over 4 months. The study involved 220 registered nurses with a minimum of one year of clinical experience, selected through a convenience sampling method. The online survey consisted of three sections: demographic information, an assessment of nurses’ AI knowledge, and the general attitudes toward the AI scale. Results Nurses displayed “moderate” levels of awareness toward AI technology, with 70.9% having basic information about AI and only 58.2% (128 nurses) were considered “aware” of AI as they dealt with one of its healthcare applications. Nurses expressed openness to AI integration ( M  = 3.51) on one side, but also had some concerns about AI. Nurses expressed conservative attitudes toward AI, with significant differences observed based on gender (χ² = 4.67, p  < 0.05). Female nurses exhibited a higher proportion of negative attitudes compared to male nurses. Significant differences were also found based on age (χ² = 9.31, p  < 0.05), with younger nurses demonstrating more positive attitudes toward AI compared to their older counterparts. Educational background yields significant differences (χ² = 6.70, p  < 0.05), with nurses holding undergraduate degrees exhibiting the highest positive attitudes. However, years of nursing experience did not reveal significant variations in attitudes. Conclusion Healthcare and nursing administrators need to work on increasing the nurses’ awareness of AI applications and emphasize the importance of integrating such technology into the systems in use. Moreover, addressing nurses’ concerns about AI's control and discomfort is crucial, especially considering generational differences, with younger nurses often having more positive attitudes toward technology. Change management strategies may help overcome any hindrances

PREDICTORS OF NURSING STUDENTS’ INTENTION TO RECEIVE COVID-19 VACCINATION: A MULTI-UNIVERSITY STUDY IN SAUDI ARABIA

Aims: This study examined the predictors of student nurses’ intention to vaccinate against COVID-19. We measured the nursing students’ risk perceptions, anxiety, fears and beliefs on COVID-19 vaccine; attitudes towards it and vaccine literacy (VL). Design: This study is a multi-university study utilizing the quantitative, cross-sectional and predictive approach. Methods: Using convenience sampling (n = 1170), we surveyed 10 Saudi universities from November 26, 2020, to December 31, 2020. Forward stepwise multinomial lo gistic regression was performed in identifying the factors predicting student nurses’ intention to vaccinate against COVID-19. Results: The overall mean in the risk perception, anxiety and fear was 9.59 (SD = 2.82, possible range = 1–15), 3.95 (SD = 4.77, possible range = 0–20) and 18.17 (SD = 6.65, possible range = 7–35) respectively. They also reported a mean of 29.90 (SD = 6.56, possible range = 8–40) on COVID-19 belief. COVID-19 positive and negative attitudes mean score was 3.64 (SD = 0.92) and 2.72 (SD = 0.90) in a 1–4 range of scores respec tively. The functional and interactive-critical COVID-19 VL of the students were at moderate levels. More than half of the respondents (55.9%) intended to be vaccinated against COVID-19, 17.6% did not intend to do so and 26.5% were unsure. High-risk perceptions, low levels of COVID-19 anxiety, positive beliefs and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccine, and high levels of interactive-critical COVID-19 VL were signifi cant predictors of student nurses’ intentions to vaccinate against COVID-19. Conclusion: Policymakers could consider the factors identified in this study and why the students did not intend to receive the vaccine in planning a nationwide vaccina tion program. The colleges of nursing could also utilize the findings in developing edu cational programs that aim to improve VL and beliefs and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccin