The role of primary healthcare nurses in disasters due to natural hazards: a scoping review

Background: Natural hazards leading to disasters can be difficult to predict, with impact influenced by infrastructure damage, geographic locations, community characteristics and healthcare response capacity. This scoping review explores the involvement of primary healthcare (PHC) nurses during the four phases of a disaster – prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. Methods: Following the PRISMA-ScR and Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, this review mapped existing research. Four databases, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Embase and Scopus, were searched on 6 May 2024. Papers were included if they pertainedi to PHC settings, involved PHC nurses and focused on disasters. Data were extracted from each paper into summary tables, which described the key study characteristics: disaster focus and surge capacity domains. Results: Of the 337 papers identified, 21 were retained for full-text review and four papers met the inclusion criteria. Literature on PHC nurses’ roles in disaster management is limited and focuses on the response phase. PHC nurses experience role uncertainty during disasters, although their roles are recognised in wound care, treating minor injuries and addressing life-threatening presentations. Conclusion: Research on the roles of PHC nurses in disaster prevention and preparedness, and recovery is scarce. Targeted support, resource distribution and role clarity could improve PHC nurses’ effectiveness in disaster settings.