We learn the topic “Nurse’s intentions to respond to bioterriosm and other infectious disease emergencies” this week. The study want to investigate why little is known about nurses’ intentions to respond during bioterrorism and other infectious disease emergencies where they and their families may be at risk.
After learning ，we know how to ensure the nurses and other healthcare workers, healthcare organizations provide an adequate planning for respond to the patients in bioterriosm and other infectious disease emergencies, and the public must consider the dilemma of being needed or required to respond in a time of public emergency, despite immediate or long-term negative health and economic consequences for healthcare workers or their families. Researchers surveyed 292 nurses following their participation in a class on bioterrorism. Participants completed a Personal/Professional Profile (PPP), Test of Bioterrorism Knowledge (BT Knowledge), and an Intention to Respond (IR) instrument. IR was measured by participants’ scores on their likelihood to care for patients (0=extremely unlikely, 10 =extremely likely) for each of 10 infectious disease scenarios reflecting different infection risk. We calculated scores for each scenario, totaled them, and examined the total IR related to the participant’s PPP and scores on BT Knowledge. Additionally, we examined participants’ written comments explaining the reasons for their IR. Total IR scores ranged from 8-100 (mean and median of 70). The IR was higher in scenarios where the infection risk was lower. Overall IR scores were positively related to BT Knowledge and having had previous emergency and disaster experience. Those less likely to respond had dependent children and more years in nursing.
Results indicated that nurses differentiated risks associated with different infectious disease situations and may decide to respond during a real emergency based on such information. Implications for nursing administrators and nursing educators were discussed.
（YanPei）
