Emotional intelligence and experiential exposure as determinants of disaster response self-efficacy in undergraduate nursing education.

BACKGROUND: Disaster preparedness is a core nursing competency, particularly in disaster-prone low- and middle-income countries. While training exposure is emphasized in curricula, the psychological and experiential correlates of disaster response self-efficacy (DRSE) remain underexplored. AIM: To examine emotional intelligence (EI), disaster-related experiences, and factors associated with DRSE among undergraduate nursing students in high-risk regions of the Philippines. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional, predictive-correlational study, two disaster-prone regions of the Philippines. METHODS: A total of 609 nursing students from two disaster-prone regions were recruited using convenience and snowball sampling. Data were collected using the Disaster Response Self-Efficacy Scale, the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test, and a demographic and educational questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, and hierarchical regression were performed. RESULTS: Students from Regions 12 and 11 reported mean DRSE scores of 3.16 ± 0.88 and 3.15 ± 1.01, and mean EI scores of 3.91 ± 0.48 and 4.01 ± 0.56, respectively. EI was significantly higher among students from Region 11, whereas DRSE did not differ significantly between regions. DRSE was significantly associated with academic year, previous disaster experience, receipt and frequency of disaster training, and awareness of additional resources. EI was positively correlated with overall DRSE. In the final hierarchical regression model, EI (B = 0.131, β = 0.126, p = .002) and previous disaster experience (B = 0.110, β = 0.147, p < .001) remained significantly associated with DRSE. This model explained 7.3% of the variance, whereas receipt of training, training frequency, perceived importance of training, and awareness of additional resources were not significant after adjustment. CONCLUSION: Disaster response self-efficacy was independently associated with emotional intelligence and previous disaster experience. Undergraduate curricula may benefit from longitudinal, competency-based disaster education that incorporates structured experiential learning and the development of emotional skills.