Impact of Basic Life Support Training Program on Nurses' Knowledge and Practice

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine
• Nursing Practice

Background:

• Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a critical cause of in-hospital mortality in Ghana, particularly in the Central Region.
• Nurses' proficiency in recognizing and managing SCA using basic life support (BLS) requires evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a structured BLS training program on nurses' knowledge and practical skills.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of BLS training in improving emergency response capabilities.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest approach was employed.
• 101 nurses participated, assessed using a Likert scale questionnaire for knowledge and a task checklist for practical skills.
• Data analysis involved the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and linear regression.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in both BLS knowledge (p < .001) and practical skills (p < .001) post-training.
• Pretest knowledge positively predicted posttest knowledge (β = 0.74, p < .001).
• Regression findings on practice were interpreted cautiously due to potential ceiling effects.

Conclusions:

• In-service BLS training effectively enhances nurses' knowledge and practical skills.
• Routine and regular implementation of BLS training programs is crucial for maintaining competency.