When Disaster Strikes: Are RNs Prepared for a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI)?

Mass casualty incidents (MCI), such as bombings and shootings, as well as catastrophic epidemics and natural disasters, like hurricanes and wildfires, are prevalent in the US (Matzo, Ziegler, & Ziegler, 2009). However, many acute care nurses do not have adequate training to care for these patients (Whitty & Burnett, 2009). In fact, Idaho as whole only achieved 50% of the indicators deemed necessary for health emergency preparedness as of December 2017 (Segal, Lieberman, May, & Warren, 2017). Furthermore, there are no Level I trauma centers in Idaho or surrounding areas to treat the volume of serious injuries associated with MCIs, such as violent terrorism and natural disasters, or the mental health resources to help victims and healthcare workers cope with the psychological aftermath (American Trauma Society, n.d.).

The purpose of this paper is to examine the current evidence on whether providing mass casualty incident education improves knowledge, confidence, and skills in baccalaureate nursing students (BSNs) or registered nurses (RNs) in the event of a MCI.