Knowledge and self-expressed competency of the health personnel regarding disaster and its preparedness

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Original Article

Author Details : Veena Gretta. Tauro*, Vijetha Kottari

Volume : 5, Issue : 3, Year : 2018

Article Page : 161-166

https://doi.org/10.18231/2394-2738.2018.0035

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Abstract

Disasters cause great harm to the existing infrastructure and threaten the future of sustainable development. The occurrence of disasters and related causalities are one of the realities of man’s life. The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge and self-expressed competency of the health personnel regarding disaster and its preparedness in selected hospitals, Mangaluru. Objectives of the study are to assess the knowledge regarding disaster and its preparedness among health personnel, to determine the self-expressed competency of health personnel on disaster and its preparedness and to correlate knowledge with self-expressed competency of health personnel on disaster and its preparedness. Descriptive research design was used. Study sample consists of 200 health personnel working in hospitals in Mangaluru, who were available at the time of data collection and who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The data was collected using self-administered structured knowledge questionnaire and five point self-expressed competency rating scale.
Result: Majority 42 (79.24%) of the doctors had good level of knowledge whereas majority 80 (66.67%) of nurses and 13(48.15%) of paramedical staffs had average knowledge regarding disaster and its preparedness Overall knowledge score was high among doctors with mean percentage of 80.55% with mean and SD of 32.22 ± 2.177. Next highest was among nurses with mean percentage of 67.29% with mean and SD of 26.55 ± 5.272. Least was among paramedical staffs with mean percentage of 66.38% with mean and SD of 28.275 ± 4.516. Regarding level of self-expressed competency among subjects, 47 (88.67%) doctors showed high level of competency, among nurses 55 (45.83%) of them showed high level of competency, among paramedical 7 (25.92%) of them showed high level of competency regarding disaster and its preparedness. There was positive correlation between level of knowledge and self-expressed competency of health personnel regarding disaster and its preparedness. The findings of the study support the need for providing educational and training to improve the knowledge and self-expressed competency of the health personnel regarding disaster and its preparedness.

Keywords: Competency, Disaster, Health personnel, Knowledge, Preparedness.

How to cite : Tauro V G, Kottari V, Knowledge and self-expressed competency of the health personnel regarding disaster and its preparedness. J Community Health Manag 2018;5(3):161-166

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