An integrated predictive model of nurses’ disaster preparedness: the joint role of organizational resources and psychological capacity

Disaster preparedness among nurses is essential for effective emergency response. This study examined disaster preparedness and psychological disaster preparedness as related but distinct dimensions and evaluated the contribution of organizational work environment factors and psychological characteristics to both outcomes. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 registered nurses employed at a tertiary medical center in Israel between May 2023 and May 2024. Data were collected using validated self-report questionnaires assessing disaster preparedness, psychological disaster preparedness, organizational work environment, resilience, optimism, and trait anxiety. Descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and multiple regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of both preparedness outcomes. Disaster preparedness and psychological disaster preparedness were moderately correlated ( r =.56, p <.001) but showed different adjusted predictor patterns. The full disaster preparedness model explained 45.4% of the variance; workplace disaster training, optimism, lower trait anxiety, participation, staffing and resource adequacy, collegial nurse-physician relations, and completion of an advanced nursing course were positive independent correlates. The full psychological preparedness model explained 45.1% of the variance; age, ward experience, resilience, staffing and resource adequacy, nurse-nurse interaction, and male gender were positive independent correlates, whereas workplace disaster training and trait anxiety were negative correlates. Nurses’ disaster preparedness is multidimensional and reflects both organizational resources and individual psychological capacity. Organizational and psychological variables contributed jointly, but their adjusted associations differed across operational and psychological preparedness. Interventions should therefore combine adequate staffing and collaborative practice environments with disaster training that explicitly addresses psychological responses, resilience, and anxiety management.