The 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes were among the most catastrophic disasters in Türkiye’s history, affecting over 13 million people and causing massive casualties and infrastructure devastation. Nurses play a critical role in all phases of disaster management, yet no standardized, nurse-specific framework exists to guide their practice. This study aims to explore the challenges nurses encounter in earthquake management and to develop a comprehensive, nurse-specific earthquake management model based on their field experiences. This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews with 50 nurses from the most devastated provinces: Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, Gaziantep, and Malatya. Data were collected between April 6 and May 15, 2024, and analyzed using conventional content analysis to systematically examine nurses’ experiences across all disaster phases (pre-event, during-event, and post-event). Purposive sampling ensured diversity in nursing roles and fieldwork settings. The analysis focused on identifying key challenges, including psychological barriers (stress, trauma, emotional burden), logistical constraints (resource allocation, infrastructure limitations), and educational gaps (training deficiencies in disaster response). Content analysis revealed three main thematic domains corresponding to the pre-earthquake, during-earthquake, and post-earthquake periods. In the pre-earthquake period, nurses emphasized critical requirements for disaster preparedness planning and standardized care processes. Based on these findings and expert feedback, a phased nurse-specific earthquake management model was developed. The final model is structured into three main components: Pre-Earthquake Management (encompassing risk identification, preparedness training, and psychosocial preparation), Earthquake Management (comprising six operational components for acute response coordination), and Post-Earthquake Management (consisting of five recovery-focused components addressing psychological support and rehabilitation). This study concludes that nurses face systematic barriers across psychological, logistical, and educational domains during earthquakes. There is a critical need for structured training programs integrated into nursing curricula and hospital preparedness protocols. The developed model provides a standardized framework and common professional language to support nurses in all phases of future earthquake disasters, ultimately strengthening health system resilience. Not applicable.
Çevirme et al. (Sat,) studied this question.