Qualitative Investigation of Nurses' Working Conditions After a Major Earthquake in Türkiye

AIMS: We aimed to determine the working conditions and share the experiences of local earthquake-affected nurses and volunteer nurses from other regions in the first days after the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes that took place in Türkiye on February 6, 2023. DESIGN: A phenomenological approach was adopted in this inductive qualitative study. METHODS: In-depth individual interviews were held between April and May 2023 with a total of 16 nurses who worked in the earthquake-affected areas or were voluntarily assigned from other provinces. Thematic analysis was used to evaluate the data, and the study adhered to the COREQ checklist. RESULTS: Seven themes were generated from the data: earthquake scenes, organisation, nurses' actions, preparedness, volunteering, basic necessities, and the emotional spectrum. The organisation theme had three subthemes: uncertainty, communication and coordination, and excessive workload. CONCLUSION: The results of this study can be a guide in preventing and rapidly addressing the problems encountered in post-disaster nursing care. To cope with the sudden increase in workload, atypical cases, and ethical dilemmas after a disaster, we recommend updating the current nursing curriculum, modifying existing hospital disaster plans, and conducting further studies to increase the physical and psychological resilience of nurses responding to disasters and emergencies. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION: The findings of this study may provide a basis for nurses to advocate for change and better disaster preparedness. Nurses can be better prepared by knowing the conditions in an earthquake zone. It may also encourage the development of post-earthquake recovery programs for the psychosocial health of nurses. IMPACT: The results of this study can be used to restructure earthquake preparedness programs, starting in undergraduate education, to prepare nurses for major earthquakes. In addition, it may guide policy-makers and health care professionals, especially nurses, in optimally preparing for earthquakes and planning and implementing nationwide technology-supported earthquake preparedness programs. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.