Knowledge Regarding Disaster Preparedness and Triage Principles Among Undergraduate Nursing Students

Disaster preparedness and triage are essential competencies for nurses, particularly because they frequently serve as frontline responders during disasters and mass-casualty incidents. Undergraduate nursing education is expected to develop these competencies before graduation; however, evidence regarding their combined assessment among nursing students in Pakistan remains limited. Objective: To assess knowledge regarding disaster preparedness and triage principles among undergraduate nursing students at the College of Nursing, University of Child Health Sciences, The Children’s Hospital, Lahore, and to determine the relationship between these two competencies. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from January to June 2026 among 249 undergraduate nursing students. Participants were selected through proportionate stratified random sampling across all four professional years. Triage knowledge was assessed using the 18-item Triage Knowledge Scale, while disaster preparedness knowledge was evaluated using the 47-item Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool (DPET). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Spearman’s correlation was applied to determine the relationship between triage and disaster preparedness scores, while independent-samples t-tests and one-way ANOVA were used to compare mean scores across demographic and academic characteristics. Results: The mean Triage Knowledge Scale score represented 72.7% of the maximum possible score, with 96.8% of students demonstrating moderate or high triage knowledge. The mean DPET score represented 65.2% of the maximum possible score; 78.7% of students demonstrated moderate disaster preparedness knowledge, while only 6.0% achieved a high level. A statistically significant positive correlation was observed between triage knowledge and disaster preparedness scores (r=0.240, p<0.001). Higher scores on both scales were significantly associated with prior disaster-related training, previous disaster experience, completion of an emergency department clinical rotation, and higher professional year. Conclusion: Undergraduate nursing students demonstrated relatively stronger knowledge of triage principles than disaster preparedness, although the two competencies were significantly related. Incorporating structured and dedicated disaster nursing education, simulation-based training, and practical disaster-response exercises into undergraduate curricula may strengthen preparedness before graduation.