Experiences and psychosocial challenges of volunteer nurses in Turkey devastating earthquake zones: Lessons to be learnt for prevention of health system problems in disasters: A qualitative study.

This research aimed to investigate the experiences and psychosocial challenges encountered by volunteer nurses who provided care in the zones affected by the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey in 2023. This qualitative study involved semistructured, in-depth interviews with 15 volunteer nurses who were actively working in earthquake-affected regions. The study was conducted between June 2023 and July 2023. Participants were selected from diverse provinces (Hatay, Gaziantep, Adıyaman, Kahramanmaraş, and Malatya) affected by the earthquake, ensuring maximum variability. Individual online interviews were conducted using Google Meet, with data collection continuing until saturation was achieved. The study adhered to the COREQ checklist for reporting qualitative research. Three main themes and eight subthemes were developed: (1) Management and Coordination (failure to meet basic needs, bureaucracy, duty, and authority issues, problems with supplies and equipment); (2) Professional Experiences (working conditions, education, perspective on the profession); and Psychosocial Problems and (3) Coping Methods (psychological problems, methods of coping with problems). The study showed that volunteer nurses encountered management and organizational obstacles, were profoundly impacted by the disaster's psychosocial aspects, and often struggled with inadequacies in handling psychological challenges. Despite these challenges, the nurses reported a sense of competence in delivering care services. The insights derived from this study hold valuable lessons for future disaster response strategies. For this reason, it is recommended to plan the necessary training and initiatives to professionally strengthen the field of disaster nursing.

Yanik D ，Ediz Ç 《-》

Earthquake diaries: Psychosocial difficulties and life experiences of nurses working in the disaster zone after the earthquake: A phenomenological study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychosocial difficulties and life experiences of nurses working in the disaster area following the earthquake on February 6, Kahramanmaraş centered earthquake with a phenomenological approach. After natural disasters such as earthquakes, nurses play a significant role in providing both physical and psychosocial support. Therefore, the experiences of nurses in this field are necessary both to support them and to assist disaster survivors. In this study, in which the phenomenological research method was used, semi-structured in-depth interviews with 18 nurses who provided health care services during the February 6 Kahramanmaraş earthquake were conducted between January and February 2024 via Whatsapp mobile application. Snowball sampling method was used to reach the sample group. Interviews continued until data saturation was achieved. All interviews were audio recorded and then transcribed. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The study was conducted and reported according to the COREQ checklist. Data analysis revealed two themes (psychological and social difficulties caused by the earthquake, traumatic stress and coping experiences as a nurse) and five sub-themes (social difficulties, psychological difficulties, traumatic events, reactions and coping). As a result of the study, it was determined that nurses providing health care services were negatively affected psychosocially by the traumatic stress situations they experienced in the earthquake centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6. It was determined that nurses had great difficulty in coping with the traumatic stress situations they experienced. It was concluded that the February 6 earthquake caused secondary traumatization in nurses.

Emirza EG ，Uzun S ，Şenses M 《-》

Emergency Medicine Association of Turkey Disaster Committee Summary of Field Observations of February 6th Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes.

Yılmaz S ，Karakayali O ，Yilmaz S ，Çetin M ，Eroglu SE ，Dikme O ，Özhasenekler A ，Orak M ，Yavaşi Ö ，Karbek Akarca F ，Günalp Eneyli M ，Erbil B ，Akoğlu H ... -  《-》

Exploring the disaster experiences and psychosocial support needs of children affected by the Kahramanmaras earthquake in Turkey through drawing narratives.

On February 6, 2023, a catastrophic earthquake struck the Kahramanmaras region in Turkey. Among the most vulnerable demographic groups in the wake of such disasters are children. To provide effective psychosocial support to these young individuals, it is crucial to gain a comprehensive understanding of their specific needs resulting from the earthquake experience. This study aimed to determine the disaster experiences and psychosocial support needs of children between the ages of 7 and 12 who were affected by the Kahramanmaraş earthquake in Turkey with drawings. This research used a descriptive qualitative design, employing purposive and snowball sampling approaches to select 32 children aged 7-12 for the study. Thematic analysis approach was used to analyze the data, revealing six distinct themes as expressed through the drawings of school-aged children. The reporting in this study followed the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ). These six themes are associating precipitation with earthquakes, security and relocation, emotional chaos, expressing the earthquake symbolically, death and physical damage and longing for normalcy. This study highlights the importance of acknowledging and attending to children's requirements through psychosocial interventions tailored to their age. It underscores the complex nature of the psychosocial needs of children impacted by earthquakes and promotes collaborative efforts among healthcare professionals and nurses to provide more effective support to these children during challenging circumstances.

Arslanlı SE ，Duru HA ，Bakır E ，Pulat P ... -  《-》

Experiences of intensive care nurses providing care to the victims of Kahramanmaraş earthquakes.

Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 occurred in the Turkish province of Kahramanmaraş in 2023. The earthquakes resulted in serious losses of life and property in 11 provinces, and the injured were transferred to other provinces for treatment and care. To date, no studies on the experiences of intensive care nurses providing care to earthquake victims after the Kahramanmaraş earthquake sequence have been identified. The aim of the present study is to explore the experiences of intensive care nurses providing care to earthquake victims who were transferred to other provinces. A qualitative descriptive research design with conventional content analysis was used. Snowball sampling was used in the selection of intensive care nurses. Data saturation was achieved with 20 nurses. In-depth interviews were conducted with the participants through phone between March 8 and March 15, 2023. MAXQDA 20 software was used for data analysis. The COREQ checklist was used to guide the reporting of the study. Twenty nurses were recruited. Four themes emerged from the data: challenges in caregiving processes; psychological challenges; ethical situations; urgent need for training and support. After the Kahramanmaraş earthquake sequence, described by some as the disaster of the century, nurses encountered patients with unique needs that they had never encountered before and tried to cope with the constantly changing health conditions. For this reason, they were affected psychologically and experienced challenges in caregiving processes. Conducting comprehensive training for diseases common among earthquake victims, developing new protocols for providing care to earthquake victims, developing more action plans for nurses, and psychologically supporting intensive care nurses would facilitate the caregiving processes.

Çetinkaya Özdemir S ，Semerci Çakmak V ，Ziyai NY ，Çakir E ... -  《-》