Willingness of Health Care Personnel to Work in a Disaster: An Integrative Review of the Literature
- 1 March 2009
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
- Vol. 3 (1), 42-56
- https://doi.org/10.1097/dmp.0b013e31818e8934
Abstract
Effective hospital surge response in disaster depends largely on an adequate number of personnel to provide care. Studies appearing since 1991 indicate health care personnel may not be willing to work in all disaster situations—and if so, this could degrade surge response. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to determine the state of the evidence concerning the willingness of health care personnel to work in disaster. The aims of this review are to collate and assess the literature concerning willingness of health care personnel to work during a disaster, to identify gaps in the literature as areas for future investigation, and to facilitate evidence-based disaster planning. Twenty-seven studies met inclusion criteria (25 quantitative and 2 qualitative studies). The current evidence indicates there may be certain factors related to willingness to work (or lack of willingness) in disaster including the type of disaster, concern for family, and concerns about personal safety. Barriers to willingness to work have been identified including pet care needs and the lack of personal protective equipment. This review describes the state of an emerging area of science. These findings have significant implications for community and organizational emergency planning and policymaking in an environment defined by limited resources. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2009;3:42–56)Keywords
This publication has 38 references indexed in Scilit:
- Managerial Leadership for Nurses' Use of Research Evidence: An Integrative Review of the LiteratureWorldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 2007
- Hospital Personnel Response during a Hypothetical Influenza Pandemic: Will they come to Work?Academic Emergency Medicine, 2007
- Healthcare Worker Response to Disaster ConditionsAcademic Emergency Medicine, 2007
- First Responders: Mental Health Consequences of Natural and Human-Made Disasters for Public Health and Public Safety WorkersAnnual Review of Public Health, 2007
- Will Emergency Health Care Providers Respond to Mass Casualty Incidents?Prehospital Emergency Care, 2007
- Surge Capacity for Healthcare Systems: A Conceptual FrameworkAcademic Emergency Medicine, 2006
- The GP's response to pandemic influenza: a qualitative studyFamily Practice, 2006
- The Importance of Evidence-Based Disaster PlanningAnnals of Emergency Medicine, 2006
- Risk Perception and Impact of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) on Work and Personal Lives of Healthcare Workers in SingaporeMedical Care, 2005
- School Nurses as Volunteers in a Bioterrorism EventBiosecurity and Bioterrorism: Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and Science, 2004