Taiwanese nurses’ most unforgettable rescue experiences in the disaster area after the 9-21 earthquake in Taiwan

The purpose of this study was to reveal the most unforgettable rescue experiences of nurses at the central site of the 9-21 Taiwan earthquake during the crucial early recovery stage—the first 72h. A purposive sample of 46 nurses was obtained (40 women and 6 men, with an average age of 28). Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed by content analysis. The negative aspects of most unforgettable experiences reported by 87% of the subjects were primarily: (a) the prevalence of psychoneurotic syndromes (50%); (b) the severe destruction of geographic treasures (43%); (c) the buried-alive bodies of whole families or village populations (33%); (d) inadequate care for the children and teenagers that were left homeless (22%); (e) deterioration of the condition of patients with chronic health problems (15%); and (f) manifestation of the greedy or selfish nature of human beings (13%). Still 76% of the subjects reported the following positive aspects of their rescue experiences: (a) feeling rewarded from helping others (43%); (b) being deeply touched by residents’ mutual support (33%); and (c) the good attitude and tangible help given by other health professionals (15%). This study highlights a need for long-term follow-up and attention of these nurse rescuers in the post-rescue stage. The implementation of a well designed “disaster reduction” course for the health professionals was also encouraged.