Enhancing Disaster Preparedness in Nursing Education: A Quality Improvement Approach Using Simulation and Training

Background: Natural or artificial disasters threaten safety and continuity in educational settings. The University of San Francisco School of Nursing and Health Professions (USF SONHP) identified a critical gap in its disaster preparedness, underscored by the absence of a comprehensive disaster plan. This shortfall highlights the need for an educational strategy encompassing disaster readiness and response, particularly given the potential for such events to cause substantial harm and disruption. Local Problem: A gap analysis conducted at the USF SONHP revealed the lack of a structured disaster plan, underlining the urgent need for an initiative to develop and implement a comprehensive disaster management educational plan. This plan aims to equip nursing students, faculty, and support staff with the knowledge and skills to respond effectively to disasters. Methods: This Doctor of Nursing Practice student-led quality improvement project integrates disaster preparedness and response training into the University of San Francisco nursing curriculum. Disaster simulations and partnerships with local emergency services support it. Interventions: The project included pre-simulation training on triage, first aid, and Stop-the-Bleed techniques, followed by disaster simulations assessed using the Simulation Effectiveness Tool–Modified (SET-M). Data collection involved post-simulation surveys and qualitative feedback from debrief sessions to evaluate confidence, skill retention, and perceived learning outcomes. Results: Post-simulation results significantly improved participants' confidence (Cohen's d = 0.67), with a 68% increase in nursing students' knowledge and confidence in medical interventions compared to baseline levels. Participants reported enhanced confidence, improved retention of clinical skills, and a strong preference for simulation-based learning. Realistic scenarios further bolstered their readiness for real-world emergencies. Conclusions: Simulation-based disaster management education effectively enhances nursing students' confidence and preparedness, addressing critical gaps in disaster response training. The project underscores the need to integrate this training into nursing curricula so that students can effectively manage crisis scenarios. Further refinement and scalability efforts are recommended to maximize its impact.