Emergency Nurses' Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Regarding Disaster Preparedness and Management in Emergency Departments in the Northern Division, The Republic of Fiji

Prasad, AA; Brown, D; Singh, K; Sukul, S; Ahayalimudin, N

Emergency Nurses' Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Regarding Disaster Preparedness and Management in Emergency Departments in the Northern Division, The Republic of Fiji

Prasad, AA Brown, D Singh, K Sukul, S Ahayalimudin, N

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Publisher:: IIUM Press
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CARE SCHOLARS, 8, (3), pp. 5-14

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Prasad, AA
dc.contributor.author	Brown, D
dc.contributor.author	Singh, K
dc.contributor.author	Sukul, S
dc.contributor.author	Ahayalimudin, N
dc.date.accessioned	2026-05-20T02:54:07Z
dc.date.available	2026-05-20T02:54:07Z
dc.identifier.citation	INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CARE SCHOLARS, 8, (3), pp. 5-14
dc.identifier.issn	2600-898X
dc.identifier.issn	2600-898X
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/195079
dc.description.abstract	Background Since the adoption of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), substantial efforts have been undertaken globally to reduce the impact of disasters. Nevertheless, individuals, families, communities and nations continue to be adversely affected. As front-line responders, nurses play a pivotal role in supporting communities during emergencies and crises. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of emergency nurses in the Northern Division of Fiji regarding disaster preparedness and management, and to examine factors associated with these outcomes. Methods A descriptive, quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire distributed to emergency nurses working in divisional and sub-divisional hospitals and health centres across the Northern Division of Fiji. Results A total of 61 nurses participated in the study, representing a 93.8 response rate. Most respondents were based in hospitals and health centres (82 ). Overall, participants demonstrated adequate knowledge and positive attitudes towards disaster preparedness and management however, fewer than half reported good practices, and less than half were aware of their institution s disaster management policies and procedures. Nearly three-quarters had never read or seen the health disaster management policy, and 77 had never undergone disaster preparedness training. No significant associations were found between participants sociodemographic characteristics and their KAP scores. Conclusion Despite frequent disasters in Fiji, emergency nurses in the Northern Division showed a gap between knowledge/attitude and practice in disaster management. These findings underscore an urgent need for a comprehensive disaster management policy and structured training to strengthen emergency nurses preparedness and response capacity in the region.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	IIUM Press
dc.relation.ispartof	INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CARE SCHOLARS
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.31436/ijcs.v8i3.449
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.title	Emergency Nurses' Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Regarding Disaster Preparedness and Management in Emergency Departments in the Northern Division, The Republic of Fiji
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	8
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	true
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2026-05-20T02:54:05Z
pubs.issue	3
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	8
utslib.citation.issue	3

Abstract:

Background Since the adoption of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), substantial efforts have been undertaken globally to reduce the impact of disasters. Nevertheless, individuals, families, communities and nations continue to be adversely affected. As front-line responders, nurses play a pivotal role in supporting communities during emergencies and crises. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of emergency nurses in the Northern Division of Fiji regarding disaster preparedness and management, and to examine factors associated with these outcomes. Methods A descriptive, quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire distributed to emergency nurses working in divisional and sub-divisional hospitals and health centres across the Northern Division of Fiji. Results A total of 61 nurses participated in the study, representing a 93.8 response rate. Most respondents were based in hospitals and health centres (82 ). Overall, participants demonstrated adequate knowledge and positive attitudes towards disaster preparedness and management however, fewer than half reported good practices, and less than half were aware of their institution s disaster management policies and procedures. Nearly three-quarters had never read or seen the health disaster management policy, and 77 had never undergone disaster preparedness training. No significant associations were found between participants sociodemographic characteristics and their KAP scores. Conclusion Despite frequent disasters in Fiji, emergency nurses in the Northern Division showed a gap between knowledge/attitude and practice in disaster management. These findings underscore an urgent need for a comprehensive disaster management policy and structured training to strengthen emergency nurses preparedness and response capacity in the region.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/195079