Emergency department nurses’ perspectives on responding to terror attacks: A review of the literature

Abstract

Aim: Emergency department (ED) nurses are among the first professionals to provide care for people affected by a terror attack. Given the ever-present threat of terror attacks, as evidenced by an upward trend in incidents worldwide, this review is highly topical. The aim of this review is to explore ED nurses’ perceptions and experiences in responding to a terror attack, identified in current, published literature.

Methods: This is an integrative literature review. A search of electronic databases was conducted in November 2014. Eleven articles (n = 11) met the criteria for review.

Results: Thematic analysis was applied and seven themes emerged from the review: i) training; ii) disaster plans; iii) anticipating the arrival of patients; iv) willingness to respond; v) safety; vi) caring for people affected by terror attack; and vii) psychological effect.

Conclusion: Terror attacks involving chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) threats in particular emerged as a strong focus; present throughout most of the themes. The key findings to emerge from the review demonstrate that more focus needs to be placed on appropriate preparedness of emergency department nurses in order to mitigate negative long-term effects of responding to terror attacks.