Enhancing students' knowledge and self-efficacy through integrated first aid and psychological first aid training

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine
• Psychology

Background:

• First aid training traditionally focuses on physical interventions.
• The psychological impact of emergencies on both victims and responders is increasingly recognized.
• Health sciences students require comprehensive skills for effective emergency care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of integrated first aid and Psychological First Aid (PFA) training on health sciences students.
• To evaluate changes in students' first aid knowledge and psychological self-efficacy.
• To determine the value of incorporating PFA into standard first aid curricula.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was employed.
• 76 health sciences students were divided into intervention (n=38) and control (n=38) groups.
• The intervention group received 14 weeks of combined physical first aid and PFA training.

Main Results:

• The intervention group showed a statistically significant increase in first aid knowledge (p=0.006).
• Psychological self-efficacy scores markedly improved in the intervention group (p<0.001).
• The control group did not receive the integrated training, serving as a baseline.

Conclusions:

• Integrating Psychological First Aid into first aid training enhances both knowledge and self-efficacy in health sciences students.
• This integrated approach is crucial for preparing healthcare professionals to manage the psychological aspects of emergencies.
• Recommendations include incorporating this comprehensive training into health sciences curricula and extending it to the general public.