Background & Aim: H ospital emergency departments in Iran are prone to crisis for different reasons. Understanding nurses’ perspectives about these crises help in crisis management. The purpose of this study was to explain the nature, causes and consequences of crisis in emergency departments from nurses’ points of views .

  Methods & Materials: This was a qualitative study with content analysis approach. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 12 nurses working in emergency departments of general and trauma hospital. Participants were selected through purposive sampling method. Interviews lasted between 45 minutes to an hour. The data were recorded and transcribed. The accuracy and consistency of data were confirmed. Interviews were conducted until no new data were emerged. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis with conventional approach . 

  Results: Five themes were emerged through data analysis including: 1) unexpected imbalance 2) events 3) defect in service provider factors 4) positive consequences and 5) negative consequences .

  Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that every factor that can affect balance and daily tasks can make a crisis in emergency departments. Causes of the crisis can be divided into internal or external factors. Several measures should be planned to decrease the crisis in emergency departments from high rank decision making in the ministry of health and medical education to planning appropriate programs in hospitals .

  Background & Aim: Midwives are responsible for providing health services to mothers and infants in crises. The aim of this study was to identify educational needs of midwifery students regarding mother and infant mortality prevention in crisis situations .

  Methods & Materials: In this cross-sectional study, all 235 final-year BSc. and MSc. midwifery students were selected from four medical universities located in Tehran. Informed consent forms were completed and signed by the students. The students completed a researcher-made two-section questionnaire including demographic items and educational needs items regarding mother and child preventive services in crises. Data were analyzed in the SPSS . 

  Results: Mean score of the m aternal and neonatal prevention service dimensions were 70±21.5 ( out of 105 ) and 46.7 ± 9 (out of a 65), respectively. Most of the students (86.8% ) declared that their academic education did not prepare them for their roles in crises. Only 10.6% of the students had some courses on crisis and 11.5% of them had the experience of dealing with crisis. The students in the BSc. degree had more educational needs in both dimensions compared to the students in the MSc. degree (P<0.046). There were significant relationships between the age of students (P<0.001), their clinical experience (P<0.001), previous educational courses (P<0.001) and experience in crisis (P<0.05) with the educational needs. There was no significant relationship between the educational needs and the students’ universities ( P>0.05 ) .

  Conclusion: Educational curriculums should be revised regarding actions to be done on prevention of mother and infant mortality in crises .