Hostname: page-component-f554764f5-rvxtl Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-22T21:56:01.576Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Midwifery Experiences During Two Major Earthquakes in Türkiye: Challenges and Lessons Learned - A Qualitative Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 November 2024

Neriman Çağlayan Keleş Open the ORCID record for Neriman Çağlayan Keleş [Opens in a new window]
Neriman Çağlayan Keleş*
Affiliation:
Department of Midwifery, Hamidiye Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Türkiye
*
Corresponding author:Neriman Çağlayan Keleş; Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives

This study aims to identify midwives’ post-earthquake caregiving experiences.

Methods

A phenomenological study was undertaken in May-June 2023. The participants of the study consisted of 15midwives who were included in the study with the purposeful sampling method and volunteered to provide care during the earthquake. Data were collected by an in-depth interview method using a demographic information form and a semi-structured interview form. Thematic analysis was conducted on interview transcripts.

Results

The research identified 2main themes: difficulties in managing midwifery care and the psychological impact of the earthquake on midwives. Challenges included issues with disaster organization, management, and coordination; communication gaps; insufficient medical supplies; harsh environmental conditions; inability to fulfill basic needs; lack of disaster-related knowledge and experience among midwives; and the overall survival conditions of disaster victims. The disaster caused several psychological effects on midwives, including shock, surprise, sadness, confusion, feelings of inadequacy, insomnia upon returning from the disaster area, nightmares, difficulty adapting, guilt about returning, feelings of helplessness, and experiences of loss and mourning.

Conclusions

This study detailed midwives’ experiences during disasters, difficulties, and barriers to effective care. It is crucial to record midwives’ experiences during disasters and use this information and solutions to prepare for future disasters. Disaster preparedness training for midwives should be planned to increase physical and emotional resilience.

Keywords

disasterearthquakeshealth caremidwiferymidwifery experiences
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 18 , 2024 , e248
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Sosyoekonomik boyutuyla Türkiye’de depremler üzerine bir inceleme: Kahramanmaraş depremi örneği. G Aydınbaş. Sosyal bilimlere çok yönlü yaklaşımlar: Tarih, turizm, eğitim, ekonomi, 2023. doi:10.58830/ozgur.pub98CrossRefGoogle Scholar
AFAD. Kahramanmaraşta meydana gelen depremler hk. Basın bülteni. 2023. https://www.afad.gov.tr/kahramanmarasta-meydana-gelen-depremler-hk-36 (accessed may 5, 2023).Google Scholar
Li, Y, Li, S, Chen, S, et al. Disaster nursing experiences of Chinese nurses responding to the Sichuan Ya’an earthquake. Int Nurs Rev. 2016;64(2):309–317. doi:10.1111/inr.12316CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nasrabadi, AN, Naji, H, Mirzabeigi, G, et al. Earthquake relief: Iranian nurses’ responses in Bam, 2003, and lessons learned. Int Nurs Rev. 2007;54(1):13–18. doi:10.1111/J.1466-7657.2007.00495.XCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sato, M, Atogami, F, Nakamura, Y, et al. Remote community-based public health nursing during a disaster: an ethnographic case study in Japan. Australas Emerg Nurs J. 2014;17(3):106–111. doi:10.1016/j.aenj.2014.04.001CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shih, FJ, Liao, YC, Chan, SM, et al. Taiwanese nurses’ most unforgettable rescue experiences in the disaster area after the 9-21 earthquake in Taiwan. Int J Nurs Stud. 2002;39(2):195–206. doi:10.1016/S0020-7489(01)00014-1CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yang, YN, Xiao, LD, Cheng, HY, et al. Chinese nurses’ experience in the Wenchuan earthquake relief. Int Nurs Rev. 2010;57(2):217–23. doi: 10.1111/j.1466-7657.2009.00795.x. PMID: 20579157.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sloand, E, Kub, HoG. Experiences of nurse volunteers in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. Res Theory Nurs Pract. 2013;27(3):193–213. doi:10.1891/1541-6577.27.3.193CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pourvakhshoori, N, Norouzi, K, Ahmadi, F, et al. Nurse in limbo: a qualitative study of nursing in disasters in Iranian context. PloS One, 2017;12(7). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0181314CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wenji, Z, Turale, S, Stone, TE, et al. Chinese nurses’ relief experiences following two earthquakes: implications for disaster education and policy development. Nurse Educ Pract. 2015;15(1):75–81. doi:10.1016/J.NEPR.2014.06.011CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moradi, K, Abdi, A, Valiee, S, et al. Nurses’ experience of providing ethical care following an earthquake: a phenomenological study. Nurs Ethics. 2020;27(4):911–923. doi:10.1177/0969733020907952CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rezaei, S, Abdi, A, Akbari, F, et al. Nurses’ professional competences in providing care to the injured in earthquake: a qualitative study. J Educ Health Promot. 2020;9(1). doi:10.4103/JEHP.JEHP_214_20Google Scholar
Nekooei Moghaddam, M, Saeed, S, Khanjani, N, et al. Nurses’ requirements for relief and casualty support in disasters: a qualitative study. Nurs Midwifery Stud. 2014;3(1). doi:10.17795/NMSJOURNAL9939CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hays, KE, Prepas, R. (2015). The professionalization of international disaster response: it is time for midwives to get ready. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2015;60(4):348–359. doi:10.1111/jmwh.12339CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cohen, M, Kahn, D, Steeves, R. Hermeneutic Phenomenological Research: A Practical Guide for Nurse Researchers. Published online May 15, 2012. doi:10.4135/9781452232768Google Scholar
Tong, A, Sainsbury, P, Craig, J. Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. Int J Qual Health Care. 2007;19(6):349–357. https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzm042CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Malterud, K, Siersma, VD, Guassora, AD. Sample size in qualitative interview studies. Qual Health Res. 2016;26(13):1753–1760. doi:10.1177/1049732315617444CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Abdi, A, Vaisi-Raygani, A, Najafi, B, et al. Reflecting on the challenges encountered by nurses at the great Kermanshah earthquake: a qualitative study. BMC Nurs. 2021;20(1):90. 10.1186/s12912-021-00605-3CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bradshaw, C, Atkinson, S, Doody, O. Employing a qualitative description approach in health care research. Glob Qual Nurs Res. 2017;4. doi:10.1177/2333393617742282CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saarijärvi, M, Bratt, EL. When face-to-face interviews are not possible: tips and tricks for video, telephone, online chat, and email interviews in qualitative research. Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2021;20(4):392–396. doi:10.1093/eurjcn/zvab038CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lindgren, BM, Lundman, B, Graneheim, UH. Abstraction and interpretation during the qualitative content analysis process. Int J Nurs Stud. 2020;108:103632.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Braun, V, Clarke, V. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qual Res Psychol. 2006;3(2):77–101. doi:10.1191/1478088706qp063oaCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baltacı, A. Nitel araştırma süreci: Nitel bir araştırma nasıl yapılır? AEÜSBED. 2019;5(2):368–388. doi:10.31592/aeusbed.598299Google Scholar
Yadav, D. Criteria for good qualitative research: a comprehensive review. Asia-Pac Educ Res. 2022;31(6):679–689. doi:10.1007/S40299-021-00619-0/TABLES/8CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hugelius, K, Adolfsson, A. The HOPE model for disaster nursing. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2019;34(s1):s135–s135. doi:10.1017/S1049023X19002966Google Scholar
Pouraghaei, M, Jannati, A, Moharamzadeh, P, et al. Challenges of hospital response to the twin earthquakes of August 21, 2012, in East Azerbaijan, Iran. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2017;11(4):422–430. doi:10.1017/DMP.2016.153CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Geisz-Everson, MA, Dodd-McCue, D, Bennett, M. Shared experiences of CRNAs who were on duty in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. AANA J. 2012;80(3):205–212.Google ScholarPubMed
Saghafinia, M, Araghizade, H, Nafissi, N, et al. Treatment management in disaster: a review of the Bam earthquake experience. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2007;22(6):517–521. doi:10.1017/S1049023X00005355CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pouraghaei, M, Babaie, J, Saeed, LR. Challenges of emergency medical services response to Arasbaran Twin Earthquakes; a content analysis. Arch Acad Emerg Med. 2022;10(1). doi:10.22037/AAEM.V10I1.1571Google ScholarPubMed
Doyle, L, McCabe, C, Keogh, B, et al. An overview of the qualitative descriptive design within nursing research. J Res Nurs. 2020;25(5):443–455. doi:10.1177/1744987119880234CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bonanno, GA. The resilience paradox. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2021;12(1):1942642. doi:10.1080/20008198.2021.1942642CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kunzler, AM, Helmreich, I, Chmitorz, A, et al. Psychological interventions to foster resilience in health care professionals. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020;7(7):CD012527. Published 2020 Jul 5. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012527.pub2Google Scholar