Climate-Resilient Disaster Preparedness Education to Improve Knowledge and Skills in Nursing Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Summary

This study aims to evaluate the impact of a structured climate-resilient disaster preparedness education program on undergraduate nursing students' knowledge and practical skills. Climate change has intensified the frequency and severity of disasters, increasing the need for health professionals who are trained to respond effectively. Nursing students, as future frontline providers, must be equipped with both theoretical knowledge and hands-on competencies to manage disaster situations that are influenced by climate variability.

The study was conducted at Jouf University, Saudi Arabia, using a quasi-experimental design with intervention and control groups. A total of 160 undergraduate nursing students were recruited and randomly assigned at the class level (80 intervention, 80 control). The intervention group participated in a tailored disaster preparedness training program incorporating lectures, interactive workshops, and simulation-based exercises with a focus on climate-resilient responses. The control group continued with their standard nursing curriculum.

Outcomes were measured using validated instruments: a disaster preparedness knowledge questionnaire and an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) for disaster management skills. Assessments were conducted at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at a 4-week follow-up to evaluate retention.

The primary hypothesis is that students who receive the climate-resilient disaster preparedness education will demonstrate significantly greater improvement in knowledge and skills compared to those in the control group. Findings will provide evidence for integrating climate-resilient disaster preparedness into undergraduate nursing curricula to strengthen health workforce readiness for emerging global health challenges.

Conditions

• Climate-Resilient Disaster Preparedness
• Disaster Nursing Education
• Emergency Preparedness in Nursing Students
• Nursing Education - Climate Change and Disasters

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Climate-Resilient Disaster Preparedness Education Program

A structured educational program designed to enhance nursing students' knowledge and skills in climate-resilient disaster preparedness. The program consisted of four weekly sessions (2 hours each) delivered through lectures, interactive group discussions, and simulation-based exercises. Core content included disaster risk reduction principles, emergency response protocols, climate-related hazard preparedness, psychological first aid, triage procedures, and resilience-building strategies. Training materials were validated by subject matter experts and culturally adapted for the Saudi nursing education context.

OTHER

Standard Nursing Curriculum

Participants continued their regular undergraduate nursing curriculum without additional specialized training in disaster preparedness or climate resilience. This curriculum provided foundational nursing education but did not include structured sessions on climate-related disaster management or resilience-building.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Cairo University

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

30 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-08-20

Primary Completion

2025-09-18

Completion

2025-10-18