Understanding the impact of natural disasters on children within fist hours and days after an event: A phenomenological study through the experience of nurses.

Children are a particularly vulnerable group in natural disasters such as earthquakes, and although they represent a difficult group to research in such situations, there appears to be a lack of literature investigating children's experiences in the immediate post-earthquake period. Experienced nurses can shed light on children's experiences. This study was conducted to examine the experiences of nurses caring for children affected by the earthquake in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. This phenomenological study was conducted with nurses who provided care to children during the Kahramanmaraş earthquake between May and August 2023. The study sample consisted of 14 nurses selected using a purposive sampling technique. Data were collected through in-depth interviews by using the "Introductory Information Form" and "Semi-structured Interview Form" developed by the researchers. The interviews were subsequently analyzed using Colaizzi's method. The results revealed five themes under two main themes. Under the main theme of nurse, there are subthemes of chaos, helplessness-incompetence, while under the main theme of child, there are subthemes of unresponsiveness, intertwined needs, empathy, and care. The study also highlights the chaotic environment in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, characterized by a high number of pediatric casualties and psychological trauma, and the nurses' feelings of helplessness as a result of being separated from their families. This study found that nurses caring for children in the earthquake had difficulties in managing children's hospital processes and they demonstrated an empathic approach by trying to communicate with the children in their care. The nurses stated that children should be supported psychologically as well as having their basic needs such as water, food, and shelter met. Health policymakers should be aware that in the early stages of major disasters such as earthquakes, children are not only physically injured but also have basic needs such as water, shelter, and food, and are emotionally affected. It is recommended that disaster management plans be developed to address all children's needs and nurses be provided with psychological support and training to improve their knowledge and skills.

Dağ YS ，Zengin M ，Yayan EH ，Dağ S ... -  《-》

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 《-》

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 ... -  《-》

A grounded theory study of 'turning into a strong nurse': Earthquake experiences and perspectives on disaster nursing education.

While Asia has the dubious distinction of being the world's most natural disaster-prone area, disaster nursing education and training are sparse in many Asian countries, especially China where this study took place. To explore the earthquake disaster experiences of Chinese nurses and develop a substantive theory of earthquake disaster nursing that will help inform future development of disaster nursing education. A qualitative study employing grounded theory, informed by symbolic interactionism. Fifteen Chinese registered nurses from five hospitals in Jiangxi Province who undertook relief efforts after the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake. Data were collected in 2012-2013 in digitally-recorded, semi-structured, in-depth interviews and reflective field notes, and analyzed using Glaser's grounded theory method. Participants were unprepared educationally and psychologically for their disaster work. Supporting the emergent theory of "working in that terrible environment", was the core category of "turning into a strong nurse", a process of three stages: "going to the disaster"; "immersing in the disaster"; and "trying to let disaster experiences fade away". The participants found themselves thrust in "terrible" scenes of destruction, experienced personal dangers and ethical dilemmas, and tried the best they could to help survivors, communities and themselves, with limited resources and confronting professional work. Our rich findings confirm those of other studies in China and elsewhere, that attention must be paid to disaster education and training for nurses, as well as the mental health of nurses who work in disaster areas. Emergent theory helps to inform nurse educators, researchers, leaders and policy makers in China, and elsewhere in developing strategies to better prepare nurses for future disasters, and assist communities to prepare for and recover after earthquake disasters.

Li Y ，Turale S ，Stone TE ，Petrini M ... -  《-》