Factors affecting ward nurses' basic life support experiences: An integrative literature review

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Emergency Medicine
• Healthcare Quality

Background:

• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in hospital wards is a high-stress event for nurses.
• Stress can negatively impact nurses' performance during critical events.
• Global reports indicate delays in initiating basic life support and adherence to algorithms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate factors influencing registered nurses' experiences while performing basic life support.
• To identify key challenges faced by nurses during in-hospital CPR.

Main Methods:

• An integrative literature review using the Whittemore and Knafl five-step method.
• Searched databases: CINAHL Complete, Medline, Scopus, and PubMed.
• Included qualitative and quantitative studies published between January 2000 and June 2022.

Main Results:

• Nine studies from eight countries met the inclusion criteria.
• Five major themes emerged: staff interaction, confidence, fear of harm/litigation, defibrillation concerns, and training issues.
• Identified significant concerns affecting nurses' BLS performance.

Conclusions:

• Registered nurses experience various concerns during basic life support.
• There is a notable gap in research regarding nurses' BLS experiences.
• Future education should integrate human factors (non-technical skills) alongside technical skills to enhance patient outcomes during in-hospital cardiac arrest.