The core competencies in disaster nursing of new graduate nurses in Guangdong, China: A cross-sectional study

Aim: This study aimed to assess the level of core competencies in disaster nursing of New Graduate Nurses (NGNs) and explore its influencing factors. Background: In recent years, the overall frequency of disasters around the world has been on the rise. As the emerging workforce in clinical settings, NGNs play an integral role in future disaster relief efforts. NGNs' level and influencing impact of core competencies in disaster nursing need to be understood. Design: A cross-sectional design. Methods: From June to September 2023, the Core Competencies in Disaster Nursing Scale - General Professional Nurse (CCDNS-GPN), designed according to the CCDN V2.0, was used to collect data from NGNs of six nursing schools and 15 hospitals in Guangdong, China. Descriptive analysis was conducted to examine the scores of core competencies in disaster nursing. Furthermore, one-way analysis of variance and multivariate linear regression analysis were used to explore the influencing factors. Results: A total of 607 NGNs participated in this study. The scores of CCDNS-GPN of NGNs were 90.23 (SD 15.09) (score ratio: 51.56%), indicating a low level of core competencies in disaster nursing. The highest competency was the recovery (score ratio: 55.00%), while the lowest competency was the communication (score ratio: 45.44%). The predictor for core competencies in disaster nursing of NGNs were male (beta = 0.091, p < 0.05), below bachelor's degree (beta = -0.109, p < 0.05), had received disaster nursing education at school (beta = 0.087, p < 0.05), had participated in a disaster rescue drill at school (beta = 0.140, p < 0.05), had been to the ICU during internship (beta = 0.135, p < 0.05) and had the intention to be a disaster specialized nurse (beta = 0.114, p < 0.05). Conclusions: The NGNs exhibited insufficient core competencies in disaster nursing in Guangdong, China. Nursing schools and clinical institutions should collaborate and play their respective roles to enhance nurses' core competencies in disaster nursing, ensuring they can timely, safely and efficiently participate in disaster medical relief efforts.