Preparedness, Awareness, and Performance of Iranian Health Workers Regarding Disasters Management: A Systematic Review

Background Disasters are unpredictable events that exert devastating effects on people, properties, and the environment. Iran is a disaster-prone country where numerous deaths and injuries happen annually due to disastrous events. Preparedness, awareness, and performance of health workers are important factors for service providers in disasters. Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the preparedness, awareness, and performance of Iranian nurses as a major part of the treatment team during disasters. Methods This systematic study was carried out based on the articles published from 1989-2019 on preparedness, awareness, and performance of Iranian nurses during disasters. In total, 14 databases and 560 articles were reviewed. The databases included Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Ovid, Science Direct, WILEY, Scopus, Pro-Quest, Medline, Elsevier, Magiran, and SID. Results: After analyzing the titles, abstracts, and manuscripts, 11 papers were selected for the final analysis. They included 5 interventional studies and 6 descriptive investigations. The results of this study pointed to the poor to moderate level of nurses' preparedness for disaster response in hospitals in Iran. Conclusion: As evidenced by the obtained results, nurses had moderate to low levels of knowledge, preparedness, and competence in nursing practice concerning disasters management. Due to inappropriate levels of nurses' awareness and preparedness during disasters, health system managers should use appropriate programs and measures to improve them.