Nursing Students' Roles and Experiences of Disasters in A Nursing School

Due to its location on the 'Pacific Ring of Fire', Indonesia is often prone to natural disasters. Therefore, Indonesian nurses need to have the ability to assist in disaster situations because they are considered one of the important elements of the workforce in disaster preparedness and response. However, the current nursing curriculum in Indonesia does not adequately prepare nurses to respond to this situation. The main objective of this study is to understand the role experiences of Masters of Nursing students and experiences in disaster settings in a nursing school in East Java, Indonesia. A single case study design has been used. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews. The participants are registered in the Master of Nursing program in the School of Nursing at a University in East Java. The data for research were analysed thematically. Four main themes were identified: 'personal feelings', 'working outside their scope of practice', 'lack of disaster preparedness', and 'lack of mental health care and knowledge'. This study found that students of a Masters in Nursing at a nursing school in East Java, Indonesia were not adequately prepared to face disaster situations. This study found that working outside the scope of practice and lack of mental health knowledge were the main problems for these Master of Nursing students. Apart from starting disaster training early in their education, it is recommended to provide training in the psychological context of disaster preparedness.