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

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) remains a significant cause of in-hospital mortality and morbidity in Ghana, with increasing incidence in the Central Region of Ghana. Although nurses are continuously present at patients' bedsides, their ability to recognize and manage cardiac arrest using basic life support (BLS) is under scrutiny.

The study evaluated the impact of a structured BLS training programme on nurses' knowledge and practical application of BLS.

A one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used. Using a simple random sampling technique (lottery method), 101 nurses were selected. A seven-point Likert scale questionnaire adapted from the American Heart Association (AHA) 2020 guidelines was used to assess BLS knowledge, while practical skills were evaluated using the BLS task checklist from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test and linear regression.

Significant post-training increases were observed in BLS knowledge (W = 4753, p < .001; 95% CI: 1.25 to 1.59) and BLS practice (W = 5151, p < .001; 95% CI: 63.50 to 65.50). In the regression analyses, pretest knowledge was positively associated with posttest knowledge (β = 0.74, p < .001). However, pretest practice and posttest knowledge showed negative regression coefficients in models predicting posttest practice. These regression findings were interpreted cautiously because of restricted variability and possible ceiling effects in posttest scores.

In-service BLS training significantly enhanced both the knowledge and practical skills of nurses. Routine implementation of such programme should be organized at regular interval.