According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 400 natural disasters occur worldwide each year; added to these are 30–40 armed conflicts which have occurred annually (CDC, 2018). Natural disasters are expected to increase in frequency and severity related to climate change (CDC, 2018). Nurses need to possess adequate knowledge and skills to effectively respond to and manage a disaster and to acquire clinical confidence in this role. A lack of disaster preparedness education in nursing programs has been demonstrated. Landmark reports have identified educational gaps and deficiencies in nursing disaster readiness and preparedness. A quality improvement project was conducted with undergraduate and graduate students who participated in a 2-day disaster simulation activity guided by Bandura’s Model of Self-Efficacy. Pre- and Post-test surveys measuring self-efficacy using the Disaster Self-Efficacy Scale (DSES) were completed by participants. Results demonstrated improved student scores following participation in the disaster simulation. The average pre-test survey score for all participants (n=80) was 2.82. Post-survey average scores improved to 3.42 (n=78) (p<0.01). BSN student participants (n=74) scored pre-survey averages of 2.76, increasing to 3.39 (n=72) for post-survey scores (p=<0.01). Advanced practice public/population health nurses are uniquely positioned to advocate for changes in education, practice, policy, and to promote disaster preparedness and response readiness among nurses. Disaster simulation practices in nursing programs should be an integral part of nursing school curricula and ongoing competencies.
