Exploring the Association Between Disaster Preparedness Literacy and Psychological First Aid Practice Self-Efficacy in Nursing Students: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between disaster preparedness literacy and psychological first aid practice self-efficacy among nursing students. Methods: The study, applied in a descriptive and correlational design, was conducted between October and December 2024 with 279 nursing students at a public university in Türkiye. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using the “Personal Information Form,” “Disaster Literacy Scale–Preparedness Subscale (DLS-P),” and “Psychological First Aid Application Self-Efficacy Scale (PFASES).” Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and linear regression analyses were performed. Results: There was a statistically significant and weak positive correlation correlation between DLS-P and PFASES scores (r=.229, p<.001). Linear regression analysis showed that disaster preparedness literacy explained 15.0% of the variance in psychological first aid practice self-efficacy (R²=.149, p<.001). According to the established model, a one-unit increase in the level of disaster preparedness literacy led to a 0.38-unit increase in psychological first aid practice self-efficacy. Conclusion: The results suggest that nursing students with higher disaster preparedness literacy tend to have greater confidence in applying psychological first aid. Therefore, incorporating disaster preparedness and psychological first aid training into nursing education may enhance students’ self-efficacy in disaster response situations. Keywords Disaster planning , emergency preparedness , self efficacy , psychological first aid