ABSTRACT
Background: Disasters are unforeseeable events that destroy lives and affect people, ruins possessions and disturb environment. Nurses play a vital role in dealing with the victims of such events and it is essential for nurses to be prepared in facing the consequences of disasters
Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitude and practices of nurses in different department like emergency, trauma care intensive cares [cardio vascular, cardiothoracic and neurosurgery departments] regarding disaster preparedness
Methods: Quantitative [descriptive study] among staff and student nurses of tertiary care hospitals [LRH, KTH and HMC] in Peshawar. Sample size was 90 through questionnaires. And collecting in 3 months from 15th Sep [2014] to 30th Dec [2014]
Results: The main points developed during the presentations and discussions included: [1] the need for evidence-based assessments and planning, [2] the need for a shift in focus to health-sector readiness, [3] empowerment of survivors, [4] provision of relief for the caregivers, [5] address the incentives and disincentives to attain readiness, [6] engage in joint preparation, response, and training, [7] focus on prevention and mitigation of the damage from events, and [8] improve media relations. There exists a need for institutionalization of processes for learning from experiences obtained from disasters
Conclusion: There is an urgent need to proactively establish coordination and management procedures in advance of any crisis. A number of important insights for improvement in coordination and management during disasters emerged