The role of the organisation following disaster: Insights from nurse experiences after the Canterbury earthquakes
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Date
2016-09-20
DOI
Open Access Location
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Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Massey University
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Abstract
This research aimed to explore nurse perceptions
of impacts and organisational support following the
Canterbury NZ earthquake sequence. Semi-structured
interviews were undertaken with 11 nurses in the
Canterbury area to explore the challenges faced during
and following the 2010/11 earthquake sequence. The
interviews took place three years after the start of the
earthquake sequence to enable exploration of longer
term aspects of the recovery process. The interview
transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis.
A number of themes were identified that related to
organisations, including initial impact, emotional impact,
work impact and organisational support. Changes to
workloads and roles were both organisationally driven
and personally motivated. There is a need to consider
the psychosocial impact of working and living in a post
disaster context. There is also a need to develop support
packages to ensure the health and wellbeing of health
care professionals. This research highlights a number
of ways in which organisations can support employees
following disasters.
Description
Keywords
disaster, recovery, mental health, burnout, organisations, nursing
Citation
Australasian Journal of Disaster and Trauma Studies, 2016, 20 (1), pp. 35 - 44