Assessing Isfahan emergency nurse competence in disaster response by using national questionnaire

Background and aims: Nurses are the most effective of groups who are present after incidence of disaster. So, they should provide requirement cares using skills and fast performance. Assessing competence before participation in this situation can promote their readiness. The aim of this study was to assess the disaster nurse competence in Isfahan educational hospital. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 400 nurses were selected by census in 2013. Data were gathered by a questionnaire included 50 questions in NCDS (Nurse Competence Disaster Scale) in 4 domains. The data were analyzed using SPSS software and analytic and descriptive statistical tests. Results: The mean score of samples was (42.53±8.87) in management domain, (19.77±3.19) in ethical and legal domain, (32.73±6.11) in personal domain, (77.92±16.64) in technical and total score was (172.96±30.32). Conclusion: The findings of the current study showed nurseschr('39') competence for presenting care in disaster situations is unfavorable. So, it is necessary nurses to acquire specific and technical skills more than base skills that they occasionally received in educational courses to be able to act effective during care in disaster.