Mehmet Nur GEYİK, Arzu TİMUÇİN
Acta Medica Ruha - 2026;4(3):132-139
Introduction: Nurses' disaster preparedness is essential for maintaining healthcare services. Stress coping styles may influence disaster response in addition to technical competencies. Objective: To determine the relationship between nurses' disaster preparedness levels and stress coping styles. Method: This descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional study included 787 nurses working in public hospitals in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Türkiye between November 2023 and May 2024. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Basic Competence Scale of Nurses in Preparedness to Disasters (BCSNPD), and the Stress Coping Styles Scale (SCSS) and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis. Results: The mean BCSNPD score was 138.73 (SD, 38.70). Nurses with disaster experience, experience caring for disaster survivors, and knowledge of the Hospital Disaster and Emergency Plan (HDEP) had higher preparedness scores (P<.001). Disaster training was not associated with the total score (P=.472) but was associated with critical thinking and specific assessment competencies (P<.05). Preparedness was weakly correlated with self-confident, optimistic, helpless, and submissive coping styles (r=0.183-0.254; P<.01). Nurses who felt prepared and prioritized the HDEP had the highest scores (P<.001). Conclusion: Disaster experience, HDEP knowledge, and adherence to the institutional chain of command were associated with preparedness; however, current training was not reflected in total competence. Disaster training should integrate practical competencies and functional stress coping skills.
