Willingness of University Nursing Students to Volunteer During a Pandemic
- 18 February 2010
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in Public Health Nursing
- Vol. 27 (2), 174-180
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1446.2010.00839.x
Abstract
Objective: The global threat of an influenza pandemic continues to grow and thus universities have begun emergency preparedness planning. This study examined stakeholder's knowledge, risk‐perception, and willingness to volunteer. Design and Sample: The design of this study is a cross‐sectional survey. Questionnaires were sent to 1,512 nursing students and were returned by 484, yielding a response rate of 32% for this subgroup. Nursing students may be a much‐needed human resource in the event of an influenza pandemic. Measures: The measurement tool was a Web‐based questionnaire regarding pandemic influenza designed by a subgroup of researchers on the Public Health Response Committee. Results: Most nursing students (67.9%) said they were likely to volunteer in the event of a pandemic if they were able to do so. An even higher number (77.4%) said they would volunteer if provided protective garments. Overall, 70.7% of students supported the proposition that nursing students have a professional obligation to volunteer during a pandemic. Nursing students indicated that they have had a wealth of volunteer experience in the past and they would apply this service ethic to a pandemic situation. Conclusions: Emergency preparedness competencies should be integrated into existing nursing curricula and other health science programs. University administrations need to engage in planning to create protocol for recruitment, practice, and protection of volunteers.Keywords
This publication has 7 references indexed in Scilit:
- Willingness to volunteer during an influenza pandemic: perspectives from students and staff at a large Canadian universityInfluenza and Other Respiratory Viruses, 2008
- Factors Predicting Nurses' Consideration of Leaving their Job During the Sars OutbreakNursing Ethics, 2007
- Nurses' Fears and Professional Obligations Concerning Possible Human-to-Human Avian FluNursing Ethics, 2006
- Biological, chemical, and nuclear terrorism readiness: Major concerns and preparedness of future nursesDisaster Management & Response, 2004
- Nurses’ Professional Care Obligation and Their Attitudes Towards SARS Infection Control Measures in Taiwan During and After the 2003 EpidemicNursing Ethics, 2004
- Nursing in Sudden-Onset Disasters: Factors and Information that Affect ParticipationPrehospital and Disaster Medicine, 2003
- Caring, Gender Role Orientation, and VolunteeringSex Roles, 2003