Implementation of an E-Learning Module To Increase RN Knowledge and Skills of Emergency Preparedness
Authors:   ,   Andrews University, Chung Kaitlyn 
Published: June 2023

Background By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. —Benjamin Franklin, writer, philosopher, politician. Having education initiatives for mass casualty incidents and disaster preparedness that are concise and organized is of high importance. This issue is pertinent to the midwestern medical center where this project took place because in the event of a true mass casualty or disaster scenario, many lives could be saved if registered nurses (RNs) in the emergency department (ED) were better prepared. For a hospital to provide adequate and effective care during a crisis, healthcare workers must be effectively trained to do so. However, many studies have found that hospitals across the nation are lacking in this education for hospital staff (Goniewicz et al., 2021a). While guidelines are currently in place within the midwestern medical center for drills, there is no current e- Learning module available to staff which address mass casualty incidents, Sort, Access, Lifesaving Intervention, and Treat or Transport (SALT) triage, and disaster preparedness with information specific to the midwestern medical center’s county. It was the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student’s goal to create an online educational module for Registered Nurses in the emergency department of the midwestern medical center where this project took place to bridge this gap. Purpose The United States National Preparedness Goal is to achieve "a secure and resilient nation with the capabilities required across the whole community to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk" (Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA], 2020a). This project aimed to achieve this at the midwestern medical center where this project took place. The purpose of this project was to bridge knowledge gaps and improve perceived knowledge and perceived skills regarding mass casualty incidents and disaster preparedness in Berrien County through the creation and implementation of an e- Learning module. The hypothesis of this project was that this intervention would improve ED RN knowledge and perceived knowledge and perceived skills regarding mass casualty incidents and disaster preparedness Methods After obtaining IRB approvals from Andrews University and the medical institution of interest, 53 registered nurse participants from three emergency departments at a midwestern medical center were surveyed. Consent was obtained prior to completion of the demographic questionnaire, pre- and post-survey, pre- and post-test, and the e- Learning module. Participants were given a 25 question pre-survey to assess their current perceived knowledge and perceived skills regarding disaster preparedness. They also completed 25 multiple choice questions (MCQ's) to assess their base knowledge of mass casualty incidents, SALT triage, and information on mass casualty and disaster preparedness specific to the county of interest. Immediately after the pre-survey and pretest, participants were presented with the e-Learning module to complete at their own pace. Approximately seven days later, participants were asked to re-take the same test and survey to assess for changes in perceived knowledge, perceived skills, and true knowledge of mass casualty incidents and disaster preparedness.