Lived experience of student responders with leadership in a mass casualty simulation

Keywords

leadership, disaster nursing, mass casualty incident, simulation, nursing education, interdisciplinary, healthcare, field nursing, emergency nursing, first responders

Abstract

Background

Mass casualty situations create leadership opportunities for nurses and emergency responders, yet there is a notable gap in current literature regarding the benefits of interdisciplinary training on student leadership development.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of leadership emergence within undergraduate nursing and emergency medical technician students in the context of a mass casualty incidentsimulation.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of post-drill survey responses was conducted with 357 nursing and 99 EMT students during an MCIS. The study design was a qualitative, interpretive phenomenological study using the hermeneutic circle for analysis.

Results

Three main themes emerged organically from the data: 1) A Good Leader Knows and Acts, 2) Leaders Inspire and Help, and 3) Respect and Trust Each Other.

Conclusion

This study contributes to current experiential learning and leadership education literature. An MCIS experience can be a valuable tool to cultivate the next generation of leaders, particularly in nursing and emergency responders.

Original Publication Citation

Anderson, M., **Reed, C., Watson, A. L., Drake, J., Heaston, S., **Schmutz, P., & **Rasmussen, R. (2025). Lived experience of student responders with leadership in a mass casualty simulation. Journal of Professional Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2025.03.005

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2025-03-28

Publisher

Journal of Professional Nursing; Elsevier

Language

English

College

Nursing

University Standing at Time of Publication

Assistant Professor

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