OBJECTIVE: To explore nurses' experiences and needs in improving disaster preparedness. METHODOLOGY: This research is qualitative research with a phenomenological design. This study involved 32 health center nurses in West Sulawesi, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through a series of focus group discussions (FGD), with nurses grouped into four categories ofeight people each until data saturation was achieved. The FGD guidelines were developed in consultation with experts in disaster nursing, disaster management, and health crisis management. RESULTS: The results showed that the average age of the participants was 40.59 years, with an average work experience of 16.22 years. Further analysis obtained five themes: knowledge and attitudes, emergency plans, earthquake disaster warning systems, resource mobilization, and specialized training. These themes are further divided into 14 categories. CONCLUSION: The study's findings underscore the need for practical actions to enhance nurses' disaster preparedness. The suboptimal levels of knowledge and attitudes, emergency plans, early warning systems, and resource mobilization among nurses call for the implementation of realistic disaster simulations tailored to their needs. These findings serve as a crucial foundation for the development of policies aimed at improving disaster preparedness competencies among nurses. © 2025, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences. All rights reserved.