Basic Life Support Training for undergraduate nursing students: An integrative review

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Medical Training Interventions
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Background:

• Basic life support (BLS) knowledge and skills are crucial for undergraduate nursing students.
• Optimal acquisition and retention of BLS competencies are essential for effective patient care.
• Existing training interventions in international nursing education require evaluation for efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the role of BLS training interventions in undergraduate nursing education.
• To identify methods supporting knowledge, psychomotor skills, and self-efficacy in BLS.
• To assess the effectiveness of current BLS training and evaluation strategies.

Main Methods:

• Integrative review of 24 articles on BLS training interventions.
• Quality appraisal using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist.
• Analysis of common training methods and competency evaluation techniques.

Main Results:

• Identified common BLS training methods: instructor-led, simulation, self-directed learning, skills training with clinical practicum, and computer-based training.
• Noted a lack of objective performance data in competency evaluations, relying mainly on multiple-choice questionnaires and checklists.
• Current teaching approaches do not consistently ensure acquisition or retention of BLS skills.

Conclusions:

• Standardized BLS training methods are utilized, but their effectiveness in ensuring long-term skill retention is questionable.
• Objective feedback from technology-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training warrants further investigation for improving psychomotor skill acquisition and retention.
• Development of validated instruments is necessary for accurate and consistent measurement of nursing students' BLS skills performance.