The Evaluation of Level of Knowledge of Staffs in the Hospital Disaster and Emergency Plan and Associated Factors

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the level of knowledge of all original and reserve staff about hospital disaster and emergency plan (HDEP) and to investigate the associated factors. Method: 144 staffs in HDEP of 7 hospitals in Bitlis province included in this descriptive study. Knowledge of levels about HDEP of staffs were evaluated with a face-to-face interview accompanied by a questionnaire form. p<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: 66% of participants were male, the mean age was 34.03 and 62.5% were university graduates. 63.2% of those were volunteer for HDEP. 75% of those knew their duties and 69.4% of them knew the term of duty in HDEP correctly. 6.5% previously met a disaster; 87.5% had previously participated in a disaster-related training or exercise. The cut-off point for the level of knowledge is determined as 7 according to average and median values. According to this, 69.4% of individuals were evaluated as ’adequate’. The rate of adequacy of those who were assigned as volunteers in the HDEP, who knew their position and duty, who had previously experienced disaster and who had previously participated in the in service training or practice were found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: In order to encourage personnel to participate in internal and external disaster training and exercises, to increase the frequency of training and exercise and to show the necessary sensitivity in order to inform the personnel, to support the training with video or practice, to be hanged in visible places of the codes and telephone numbers to be searched and evacuation procedures to be applied at the time of disaster in each floor in order to inform the staff andto be voluntarily based on volunteer selection in HDEP are important to be prepared for disaster preparedness.