International Emergency Nursing
Volume 16, Issue 2 , Pages 101-108, April 2008

Survey of nursing knowledge on bioterrorism

  • M. De Felice

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine and Public Health, University of L’Aquila, Italy
    • ,
  • A.R. Giuliani

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine and Public Health, University of L’Aquila, Italy
    • ,
  • G. Alfonsi

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine and Public Health, University of L’Aquila, Italy
    • ,
  • G. Mosca

      Affiliations

    • Dottorato di Ricerca in Medicina Preventiva e Sanità Pubblica, Coordinator Prof. F. di Orio, Università dell’Aquila, Italy
    • ,
  • L. Fabiani

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine and Public Health, University of L’Aquila, Italy
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Address: Ospedale S. Salvatore Delta 6 – 67010 Coppito (AQ), 67100 L’Aquila, Italy. Tel./fax: +39 0862 434693.

Received 23 August 2007; received in revised form 7 January 2008; accepted 15 January 2008.

Abstract 

With the aim of identifying intervention programmes within the framework of basic and permanent nursing training, we evaluated the knowledge of 187 nurses and nursing students concerning biological emergencies.

A questionnaire was used to identify their knowledge of the pathogens that may be used in a terrorist attack and measures for containing them, and their perception of the danger to public health.

Analysis of the responses showed that the undergraduates studying for the Triennial Degree were the best informed, and those studying for the specialist degree were the least informed. The question relating to the precautions adopted against transmission of Bacillus anthracis was the most predictive of the total score because it was the only one with a substantial number of correct answers (79/187). It seems that the information derived more from the generalist media than from academic training.

We conclude that there is a need to train qualified personnel capable of responding to a possible emergency in terms of both preventive and interventional medicine.

Keywords: Biological emergency, Nurses’ educational training, Knowledge of bioterrorism

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PII: S1755-599X(08)00008-6

doi:10.1016/j.ienj.2008.01.004

International Emergency Nursing
Volume 16, Issue 2 , Pages 101-108, April 2008

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