The impact of the Kermanshah earthquake experiences of Iranian nurses as rescuers: a qualitative study

Abstract Background Over the past few years, Iran has experienced several earthquakes. The literature has highlighted the significant role played by Iranian nurses in the Kermanshah earthquake. However, few studies have been conducted to investigate nurses’ responses to disasters. This study aimed t...

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Main Authors: Amirhossein Naghibzadeh, Keivan Moradi, Hamid Saidi, Jalal Karimi, Khalil Moradi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-04-01
Series:BMC Emergency Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-025-01227-7
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author Amirhossein Naghibzadeh
Keivan Moradi
Hamid Saidi
Jalal Karimi
Khalil Moradi
author_facet Amirhossein Naghibzadeh
Keivan Moradi
Hamid Saidi
Jalal Karimi
Khalil Moradi
author_sort Amirhossein Naghibzadeh
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Over the past few years, Iran has experienced several earthquakes. The literature has highlighted the significant role played by Iranian nurses in the Kermanshah earthquake. However, few studies have been conducted to investigate nurses’ responses to disasters. This study aimed to explore the impacts of rescue experiences on nurses who cared for the injured following the Kermanshah earthquake. Method This is a qualitative study utilizing a conventional content analysis approach, following the Granheim and Landman framework. Sixteen nurses with experience in caring for earthquake survivors in Kermanshah were selected using a purposeful sampling method. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews, with ethical considerations applied at all stages of the research. MAXQDA software (version 10) was employed to assist in managing the data. Results The study included 16 nurses: nine females (56.25%) and seven males (43.75%). The mean age of the participants was 34.13 ± 5.78 years, and the mean work experience was 10.75 ± 5.3 years. Following the coding of the interviews, 274 initial codes were extracted. These codes were merged to form 17 subcategories, five categories, and two main themes. The main themes were (i) Positive impacts (professional maturity, and the emergence of a new horizon in the meaning of life) and (ii) Negative impacts (psychological trauma, a decline in professional performance, and spiritual despair). Conclusion In the context of this type of care, nurses experience dual impacts: on one hand, it uplifts their personal lives and professional performance, while on the other hand, it poses significant threats to them.
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spelling doaj-art-56fc2dcd40dd47c18d0d866bcd162a1a2025-08-20T03:52:20ZengBMCBMC Emergency Medicine1471-227X2025-04-0125111010.1186/s12873-025-01227-7The impact of the Kermanshah earthquake experiences of Iranian nurses as rescuers: a qualitative studyAmirhossein Naghibzadeh0Keivan Moradi1Hamid Saidi2Jalal Karimi3Khalil Moradi4Kermanshah University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Emergency and Critical Care Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kermanshah University of Medical SciencesSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, West Azerbaijan University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Emergency and Critical Care Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kermanshah University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Emergency and Critical Care Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kermanshah University of Medical SciencesAbstract Background Over the past few years, Iran has experienced several earthquakes. The literature has highlighted the significant role played by Iranian nurses in the Kermanshah earthquake. However, few studies have been conducted to investigate nurses’ responses to disasters. This study aimed to explore the impacts of rescue experiences on nurses who cared for the injured following the Kermanshah earthquake. Method This is a qualitative study utilizing a conventional content analysis approach, following the Granheim and Landman framework. Sixteen nurses with experience in caring for earthquake survivors in Kermanshah were selected using a purposeful sampling method. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews, with ethical considerations applied at all stages of the research. MAXQDA software (version 10) was employed to assist in managing the data. Results The study included 16 nurses: nine females (56.25%) and seven males (43.75%). The mean age of the participants was 34.13 ± 5.78 years, and the mean work experience was 10.75 ± 5.3 years. Following the coding of the interviews, 274 initial codes were extracted. These codes were merged to form 17 subcategories, five categories, and two main themes. The main themes were (i) Positive impacts (professional maturity, and the emergence of a new horizon in the meaning of life) and (ii) Negative impacts (psychological trauma, a decline in professional performance, and spiritual despair). Conclusion In the context of this type of care, nurses experience dual impacts: on one hand, it uplifts their personal lives and professional performance, while on the other hand, it poses significant threats to them.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-025-01227-7Disaster medicineEarthquakeExperiencesNursesQualitative studyDisaster victims
spellingShingle Amirhossein Naghibzadeh
Keivan Moradi
Hamid Saidi
Jalal Karimi
Khalil Moradi
The impact of the Kermanshah earthquake experiences of Iranian nurses as rescuers: a qualitative study
BMC Emergency Medicine
Disaster medicine
Earthquake
Experiences
Nurses
Qualitative study
Disaster victims
title The impact of the Kermanshah earthquake experiences of Iranian nurses as rescuers: a qualitative study
title_full The impact of the Kermanshah earthquake experiences of Iranian nurses as rescuers: a qualitative study
title_fullStr The impact of the Kermanshah earthquake experiences of Iranian nurses as rescuers: a qualitative study
title_full_unstemmed The impact of the Kermanshah earthquake experiences of Iranian nurses as rescuers: a qualitative study
title_short The impact of the Kermanshah earthquake experiences of Iranian nurses as rescuers: a qualitative study
title_sort impact of the kermanshah earthquake experiences of iranian nurses as rescuers a qualitative study
topic Disaster medicine
Earthquake
Experiences
Nurses
Qualitative study
Disaster victims
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12873-025-01227-7
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