Development and Validation of a Competency Tool for Emergency and Disaster Management for Nurses

The study focused on constructing a tool to assess nurses’ competencies in emergency and disaster management, particularly in areas of assessment and intervention. The process included the development and validation of a competency’s checklist. The study adopted a descriptive and methodological approach, conducted in three phases: (1) Literature Review and Initial Tool Development: A workshop was held involving five experts to draft the tool, (2) Validation: The tool underwent face and content validation through the participation of emergency nurses, ward managers, and nurse managers selected via snowball sampling. Seven and eight experts reviewed and finalized the tool during this phase. Content suggestions were analyzed, and the Content Validation Index (CVI) was calculated to assess item representativeness, and (3) Pilot Testing: Thirty participants were involved in testing the tool’s usability and effectiveness. The experts included nurses with specialized training, significant work experience as emergency room nurses, and extensive knowledge of the topic. The resulting competencies checklist provides a robust foundation for evaluating emergency and disaster management skills. A total of 240 nurses participated in the study, regardless of their age, sex, highest educational attainment, hospital position, length of experience, or the number of trainings and seminars attended. In conclusion, the study successfully developed and validated an assessment tool, emphasizing its uniqueness and utility in guiding educators and researchers in fostering practical growth in emergency and disaster management competency.