Lived experience of student responders with leadership in a mass casualty simulation.
Journal of professional nursing · 2025-01-01 · Qualitative study
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 incident simulation. 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.