Summary: During domestic disasters, emergency medical support by nurses includes various forms of assistance, such as participation in DMAT teams, disaster support nurses dispatched by nursing associations, and independent deployment by NGOs and NPOs. Following the Noto Peninsula Earthquake on January 1, 2024, the Health, Medical, and Welfare Coordination Headquarters of Ishikawa Prefecture organized the dispatch of nurses to support medical institutions, social welfare facilities, and evacuation shelters in the disaster-affected areas. The aim of this study is to identify challenges in coordinating the dispatch of nurses during the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in 2024. The coordination of nurse dispatch needs was conducted by personnel from Ishikawa Prefecture, the Japan Nursing Association, and the Ishikawa Nursing Association, in collaboration with DMAT staff experienced in nurse dispatch. Unlike previous disasters, where nurses were primarily dispatched to hospitals and evacuation centers, the Noto Peninsula Earthquake required deployment to temporary shelters outside the affected area and to social welfare facilities in the Noto region, where the aging population exceeded 50%. This led to prolonged coordination efforts for long-term dispatch to hospitals and welfare facilities. Information for assessing dispatch needs came from local personnel, municipalities, and systems such as EMIS, D24H, and J-SPEED. Although the response to the Noto Peninsula Earthquake was confined to a single prefecture, anticipated disasters like the Nankai Trough Earthquake or a direct hit on a metropolitan area would affect multiple prefectures, complicating coordination efforts. The variability in the number, duration, and locations of nurse dispatch depends on the personnel involved in coordination, underscoring the importance of training to manage nurse dispatch effectively in large-scale disasters. “Outside the Box”
Chishima et al. (Sun,) studied this question.