TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AMONG NURSES AT GOVERNMENTAL HOSPITALS IN SAUDI ARABIA
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Date
2025
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Saudi Digital Library
Abstract
Background: Total Quality Management )TQM( is a framework that
many health-related organizations experience as an important way to improve
service delivery by constantly getting better, involving employees, and making
sure patients are satisfied with their services. (TQM) and crisis preparedness
are closely linked because both aim to build resilient organizations that can
deliver consistent quality even under disruption. TQM provides the cultural and
operational foundation for excellence, while crisis preparedness ensures
continuity when unexpected challenges arise.
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Aim: This study aims to investigate the relationship between Total
Quality Management (TQM) practices and Disaster Preparedness among nurses
working in governmental hospitals in the Northern Region of Saudi Arabia.
Methodology: A descriptive correlational cross-sectional design was
used. The study was employed in three governmental hospitals located in the
Al-Jouf region of Saudi Arabia: Metteb Bin Abdul-Aziz Hospital, King Abdul-
Aziz Specialist Hospital, and Qurrayat General Hospital over the period for two
months. The sample for this research was 360 including all available registered
nurses working in selected hospitals by using validated tools: demographic and
work-related variables, (TQM) Scale, and Emergency Preparedness
Information Questionnaire.
Results: The results showed a moderate level of disaster preparedness
among nurses. The results also revealed a significant positive relationship
between TQM practices and disaster preparedness among nurses. Multivariate
analysis showed that TQM practices were the strongest predictor of disaster
preparedness among nurses (P< 0.05).
Conclusion: The findings validate that total quality management
practices significantly influence nurses’ disaster preparedness. TQM, when
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embedded into the clinical culture, enhances nurses’ confidence, teamwork, and
emergency decision-making fostering resilience in high-pressure environments
Recommendation: Healthcare administrators should work toward
strengthening TQM implementation by fostering leadership commitment,
supporting employee engagement, and institutionalizing continuous
improvement processes that contribute to better preparedness outcomes
Keywords: Total Quality Management Practices, Disaster Preparedness,
Nurses, Northern Region, Governmental Hospitals, Saudi Arabia
Description
Total Disaster preparedness has become a critical competency for nurses
in Saudi Arabia, given the country’s exposure to mass-casualty events,
pandemics, and large-scale public gatherings. Recent evidence indicates that
although nurses often demonstrate adequate theoretical knowledge, their
practical readiness and engagement remain suboptimal. For example,
AlDulijand et al. (2023), in a descriptive study using a self-regulation–based
survey, found that Saudi nurses reported sufficient pre-disaster knowledge but
neutral levels of engagement, preparedness, and commitment to actual
readiness. This distinction underscores a persistent gap between what nurses
know and what they can effectively perform during real emergencies,
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highlighting the urgent need for more interactive, skills-based, and competency-
driven disaster training.
Similar challenges are observed among emergency medical services
(EMS) personnel. Al Harthi et al. (2021) reported that EMS workers in Saudi
Arabia demonstrated only moderate levels of disaster knowledge, skills, and
readiness. Their study emphasized the need for targeted support for younger
EMS professionals, standardized disaster training across healthcare institutions,
and improved communication of disaster policies and protocols. Collectively,
these findings demonstrate that disaster preparedness among frontline
healthcare workers is inconsistent and frequently limited by gaps in training
quality, policy clarity, and system-level coordination.
Given these limitations, researchers have increasingly proposed
integrating organizational improvement frameworks—particularly Total
Quality Management (TQM)—into disaster preparedness strategies. TQM
principles such as leadership commitment, employee involvement, continuous
improvement, and customer (patient) focus have been shown to strengthen
organizational performance and enhance operational consistency (Aburayya et
al., 2020; Fadhel & Alqurs, 2025). The incorporation of these principles into
disaster preparedness programs may help reduce response delays, improve
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inter-agency coordination, optimize resource utilization, and ultimately
enhance patient outcomes during emergencies (Amberson et al., 2020; Fadhel
& Alqurs, 2025).
Keywords
Keywords: Total Quality Management Practices, Disaster Preparedness, Nurses, Northern Region, Governmental Hospitals, Saudi Arabia