Emergency department nurses are at the forefront of response to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) incidents, yet factors shaping their preparedness intentions remain poorly understood. This cross-sectional study applied the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to assess behavioral intentions (BIs) for CBRN preparedness among 195 emergency department nurses in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected via a validated 21-item questionnaire measuring attitude toward the behavior (ATB), subjective norms (SNs), and perceived behavioral control (PBC). Spearman correlations and linear regression were used for analysis. Most participants (70.77%) were female and 81.54% lacked prior CBRN training, yet 68.46% demonstrated high BIs. All TPB constructs were positively correlated with BIs; however, only SNs significantly predicted BIs (β = 0.81, p < 0.001). Key influential factors included hospital management priorities, nursing organization endorsements, family support, self-confidence in emergency response and PPE use, and perceived local CBRN incident likelihood. Among demographics, only age significantly predicted BIs (p = 0.031), with younger nurses showing stronger intentions. These findings highlight that social and organizational influences predominantly drive CBRN preparedness intentions, emphasizing the need for targeted training and institutional support strategies.
Nasser Shubayr (Tue,) studied this question.