Home Visit Simulation-based Earthquake Preparedness Training for Nursing Students

In earthquake preparedness, nurses, who constitute the largest group among healthcare professionals, are expected to play an active role. Public health nurses, with their population-focused protection philosophy, are at the forefront of managing the earthquake preparedness phase. Public health nurses play an active role in practices such as providing health education through home visits, identifying household risks and taking preventive measures, and organizing drills. In this context, nurses need to have sufficient knowledge and skills to take appropriate interventions. However, managing an effective preparedness process is not limited to knowledge and skills alone; it also requires the development of nurses' attitudes and beliefs towards disasters. Therefore, it is of great importance that nursing students graduate with positive attitudes and strong beliefs about earthquake preparedness, in addition to their knowledge and skills. However, developing these skills necessitates the use of experiental learning-based educational methods instead of traditional teaching methods. Therefore, this study was planned to examine the effect of home visit simulation-based earthquake preparedness training, which offers experiental learning opportunities, on nursing students' communication skills, earthquake awareness, and self-regulated learning skills.