Core competencies of clinical nurses in disaster management: a scoping review
Wawan Febri Ramdani, Dwi Prihatiningsih, Efi FibriyantiBackground:
Despite the publication of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Core Competencies in Disaster Nursing Version 2.0 (2019), clinical nurses’ disaster management competency levels remain predominantly moderate globally, and no scoping review has comprehensively mapped these competencies across diverse disaster contexts.
Aims:
To identify, map and synthesise evidence on core competencies of clinical nurses in disaster management.
Methods:
Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines and the Arksey and O’Malley framework, a systematic search was conducted across MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest and EBSCOhost in February 2025. Studies were selected using the Population, Concept and Context framework, and data were synthesised narratively against the eight ICN competency domains. The protocol was registered on the Open Science Framework (
Results:
Fifteen studies from 10 countries (2004–2026) were included. Response-phase and preparedness competencies were most frequently reported (13 and 12 of 15 studies, respectively). Competency levels remained predominantly moderate across all contexts, with mean scores ranging from 2.5 to 3.4 out of 5 in quantitative studies. Systematic overestimation of self-assessed competency was identified among untrained nurses, with a significant discrepancy between perceived and actual competency.
Conclusions:
Persistent gaps exist in psychosocial resilience, recovery-phase competencies and evidence from conflict-affected settings. Simulation-based training and integration of disaster nursing into undergraduate curricula are urgently needed.