Improving Student Engagement in Community Disaster Preparedness.

BACKGROUND

Recent events continue to demonstrate the need for effective community-level disaster preparedness. Nurses remain key figures in supporting local response efforts and disaster education for unexpected events.

PROBLEM

Although improved efforts have promoted disaster nursing practice knowledge, nursing education remains challenged in engaging students in disaster management efforts.

APPROACH

Students collaborated over 4 semesters to assess and deliver a variety of disaster-related interventions to the community.

OUTCOMES

The multisemester project improved students' understanding of disaster nursing, the nursing program's engagement with community partners, and community members' knowledge and ability for emergency preparedness.

CONCLUSION

The project was instrumental in improving the community's awareness and engagement of the regional nursing programs in community-based emergency response. The details of the project are provided for replication by other faculty and nursing programs.