Disasters linked to climate change pose a growing challenge to health systems worldwide, with increased frequency of extreme weather events, floods, heatwaves, and pandemics. Nurses are among the largest sector of the health workforce and play a pivotal role in disaster preparedness and response. However, traditional nursing curricula often lack structured training in climate-resilient disaster preparedness. Addressing this educational gap is critical for building a workforce capable of protecting public health in the face of climate variability.
This quasi-experimental study was conducted at Jouf University, Saudi Arabia, to assess the effect of climate-resilient disaster preparedness education on nursing students' knowledge and clinical skills. The study enrolled 160 undergraduate nursing students (80 assigned to the intervention arm, 80 to the control arm). After accounting for attrition, 78 students in the intervention group and 79 in the control group completed the study.
Intervention:
The intervention group received a structured disaster preparedness training program designed in alignment with World Health Organization (WHO) and International Council of Nurses (ICN) recommendations. The program consisted of:
Didactic sessions covering disaster types, climate-related risk factors, and preparedness principles.
Interactive workshops emphasizing risk assessment, triage, evacuation, and communication during disasters.
Simulation-based exercises using Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) stations to practice disaster response in scenarios such as floods, heat emergencies, and mass casualty incidents.
The program was delivered over a 4-week period, totaling 20 contact hours. Faculty members with expertise in disaster nursing and climate health facilitated the sessions.
Control Group:
The control group continued with the standard nursing curriculum without additional disaster-specific training during the study period.
Outcomes:
Primary Outcome: Change in disaster preparedness knowledge (measured by a validated questionnaire, developed by Alim et al., adapted and validated into Arabic).
Secondary Outcome: Change in disaster preparedness skills (measured through OSCE checklists developed by the WHO and validated for reliability in this context).
Additional Outcome: Retention of knowledge and skills at 4 weeks post-training.
Data Collection and Analysis:
Data were collected at three time points: baseline (pre-test), immediately after the intervention (post-test), and 4 weeks later (follow-up). Statistical analysis included paired t-tests to assess within-group changes, independent t-tests and ANCOVA for between-group differences, and calculation of effect sizes (Cohen's d).
Ethical Considerations:
The study was approved by the Jouf University Institutional Review Board (IRB No. KFU-IRB-2025-NUR-014). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Participation was voluntary, and confidentiality was maintained throughout.
Significance:
This study addresses a critical gap in nursing education by integrating climate-resilient disaster preparedness into the curriculum. The findings are expected to contribute evidence for policy-makers, educators, and accreditation bodies to strengthen disaster preparedness competencies in nursing programs, ultimately enhancing workforce readiness to respond to climate-related emergencies.
