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A comparison of resuscitation skills of qualified general nurses and ambulance nurses in The Netherlands
H J Berden1, J M Hendrick, J P van Doornen
1Dutch College of General Practitioners, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Objective:
To investigate the ability of qualified general nurses to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and to compare these skills with those of a group of ambulance nurses.
Design:
Cross-sectional assessment of practical cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills.
Subjects:
141 Dutch general nurses.
Outcome Measures:
The practical skills were tested with six primary variables that describe the quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques in a training situation. A total score on the skills was computed based on a predefined scoring system.
Results:
The percentage of general nurses who were able to achieve a pass score (i.e., the total score did not exceed 15 penalty points) was 6.4 percent. The average score was 37.8 penalty points. Eighty-eight percent of the ambulance nurses achieved a pass score. The average number of penalty points was 10.5.
Conclusions:
The practical skills in cardiopulmonary resuscitation are insufficient in the majority of this sample of general nurses in The Netherlands. The findings of this study should be used as a base to design an optimal form and content of an educational re-instruction program. We expect that a considerable improvement could be achieved by more frequent cardiopulmonary resuscitation re-instruction.