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The Effect of Immersive Training on Emergency Preparedness for Interdisciplinary College Students: A Single Group Pretest, Posttest

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2022

Sharon White-Lewis Open the ORCID record for Sharon White-Lewis [Opens in a new window] ,
Conner Berens  and
Joseph S. Lighter Open the ORCID record for Joseph S. Lighter [Opens in a new window]
Sharon White-Lewis*
Affiliation:
School of Nursing, Rasmussen University, Overland Park, KS, USA
Conner Berens
Affiliation:
School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Missouri Kansas City, MO, USA
Joseph S. Lighter
Affiliation:
School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Missouri Kansas City, MO, USA
*
Corresponding author: Sharon White-Lewis, Email: Sharon.WhiteLewis@rasmussen.edu
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Abstract

Objective:

Current standard practice for disaster response training is insufficient to prepare future responders. Interdisciplinary immersive education is necessary for disaster responders to react quickly to the devastating destruction, dangerous situations, and ethical dilemmas, while caring for survivors, families, and communities with limited resources. This study tests the effects of immersive emergency preparedness education on interdisciplinary college students.

Methods:

Thirty-four college students attended a 3-day immersive disaster training event. Interdisciplinary teams were given 6 challenges to adapt and overcome: mass casualty; field hospital triage, treatment, and transportation; water rescue; high building rescue; search and rescue; and a water treatment. A pretest and posttest survey, Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire (EPIQ), was administered to all participants.

Results:

Statistically significant improvements in triage, biological agent detection, assessing critical resources, incident command, psychological issues, clinical decision making, and communication (range of P = 0.000–0.003). Improvement in clinical significance resulted in a change from limited knowledge to familiarity with the subject in all cases except isolation, quarantine, and decontamination.

Conclusions:

Preparation and training of health care professionals need to include immersive disaster scenarios that create the experience of fatigue, psychological challenges, and physical stresses.

Keywords

immersive educationdisaster response trainingdisaster training
Type
Brief Report
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 16 , Issue 6 , December 2022 , pp. 2397 - 2400
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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