Skill mastery in cardiopulmonary resuscitation training classes

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training

Background:

• Effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills are critical for emergency response.
• Worksite CPR training programs aim to equip individuals with life-saving competencies.
• Assessing the actual skill proficiency of trainees is essential to validate training effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the skill proficiency of adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) trainees.
• To assess the accuracy of CPR compressions and ventilations using objective measures.
• To examine the role of instructors and peer feedback in CPR skill acquisition.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a validated skill checklist to assess 12 critical CPR skills in 48 trainees.
• Employed a Laerdal Skillmeter mannequin to objectively measure compression and ventilation quality.
• Analyzed videotape recordings of training sessions to identify instructor and trainee feedback patterns.

Main Results:

• Only 10% of trainees could perform all 12 assessed CPR skills correctly.
• Fewer than 12% of compressions and 25% of ventilations met established quality standards.
• Instructors frequently missed trainee errors, and peer feedback was minimal.
• Despite poor performance, 64% of trainees reported being "very confident" in their CPR abilities.

Conclusions:

• Current worksite CPR training may not adequately ensure skill mastery.
• Objective skill assessment is crucial, as self-reported confidence does not correlate with competence.
• The effectiveness of instructor supervision and feedback mechanisms in CPR training requires re-evaluation.