Current issues facing disaster nursing education in Saudi Arabia

Abstract Background: : An important aspect of disaster preparedness for nurses is that they be ready to respond with a high level of competence. This scoping review aimed to identify current issues related to the education and training of disaster nurses in Saudi Arabia.Methods: This scoping review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. The search involved several different databases in the Saudi Digital Library (SDL), including CINAHL, Science Direct, Scopus, Wiley, and the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC). The search keywords were “disaster,” “nursing,” “education,” “training,” “knowledge,” and “preparedness.” In addition, specific inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to narrow down the search to only relevant articles. Results: Several gaps in the education of disaster nurses were found in the review, which can be summarized in five different domains: insufficient simulations and drills, inadequate education programs, a lack of formal education, difficulty following guidelines, and difficulty accessing up-to-date educational resources.Conclusion: It is imperative that the highlighted issues related to disaster nursing education in Saudi Arabia be addressed to further develop the educational system in this regard. Future research should aim to determine how to address these issues to enhance the performance of nurses during disaster situations.