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Effectiveness of Psychological First Aid E-learning on the Competence and Empathy of Nurses in Disasters: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 June 2023

Seyyed Mohammad Sadegh Madani ,
Ali Bahramnejad ,
Zahra Farsi ,
Azizeh Alizadeh ,
Nahid Rajai  and
Maryam Azizi
Seyyed Mohammad Sadegh Madani
Affiliation:
Faculty of Nursing, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR, Iran
Ali Bahramnejad
Affiliation:
Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Zahra Farsi
Affiliation:
Research and Community Health Departments, Nursing School, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Azizeh Alizadeh
Affiliation:
NEZAJA Health Department, Assistance of Mental Health in Khanevadeh Hospital, Tehran, IR, Iran
Nahid Rajai
Affiliation:
Faculty of Nursing, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR, Iran
Maryam Azizi*
Affiliation:
Health in Disaster and Emergencies Department, Faculty of Nursing, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR, Iran
*
Corresponding author: Maryam Azizi; Email: azizi.m411@gmail.com
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Abstract

Objective:

This study aimed to determine the effect of psychological first-aid (PFA) E-learning on the competence and empathy of nurses in disasters.

Methods:

In a randomized controlled trial, 50 nurses were randomly assigned to 2 intervention and control groups, and psychological first-aid training sessions were implemented for the intervention group. The data were collected using the personal information form, a researcher-made questionnaire to measure competence, and the Davis Empathy Questionnaire.

Results:

Two groups were homogeneous in terms of competency (P = 0.691) and empathy (P = 0.363) in the preintervention phase. The intervention group had more competence in the next stage than before the intervention (P < 0.0001). In the post-intervention phase, the intervention group had more competence compared with the control group (P < 0.0001). The overall effect size of PFA E-learning training on the nurses’ competency was 1.9. Regarding empathy, in the post-intervention phase, the subscale of personal distress (P = 0.014) was significantly lower in the intervention group and the perspective-taking subscale was higher than in the control group (P < 0.0001). However, there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of all scores of empathy and the subscale of empathic concern (P > 0.05). The overall effect size of PFA E-learning training on the nurses’ empathy was 0.44.

Conclusions:

It is suggested to provide training, including a PFA E-learning model, for nurses and other therapists in disaster situations.

Keywords

E-learningpsychological first aidcompetenceempathynursingdisaster
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 17 , 2023 , e420
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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