Knowledge of adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation among nursing students in selected nursing colleges in Kenya

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Sudden cardiac arrest remains a global health concern. In Kenya 25% of all hospital admissions are related to cardiovascular diseases thus all healthcare workers and trainees should have updated cardiopulmonary resuscitation knowledge and skills. Despite Cardiopulmonary resuscitation knowledge and skills being life-saving, global and local research findings indicate that nursing students are deficient in this life-saving procedure. The objective of the study was to evaluate the senior diploma nursing student's knowledge of adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study adopted a cross-sectional design, a pre-intervention phase of a quasi-experimental study. Four high-volume nurse training colleges were conveniently sampled. A total of 175 senior nursing students in their final year of study were recruited through the census. A questionnaire was used to evaluate their knowledge of adult basic life support which included; general principles, circulation, airway, breathing and automated external defibrillation concepts. Data was in a period of one month and analysed using SPSS version 26. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the findings while one sample t-test was used to compare the means. According to American Heart Association, the study applied 84% as the competence score. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant

RESULTS

The mean knowledge scores for CPR were; general CPR principles 6.06±1.6 out of 13, circulation 4.07±1.51 out of 9, airway 2.69±1.30 out of 6, breathing 1.38±0.93 out of 5 and AED 2.69±1.30 out of 7. The overall mean per cent for CPR knowledge score was 41.83%±8.29, with a minimum of 23% and a maximum of 65%. The mean was compared to the American Heart Association competence score using one sample t-test that showed a significant difference of very large magnitude measured using Cohen d statistic; t (174) = 67.276, p=0.000, d= 5.1

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

The mean basic life support knowledge for the senior nursing students was below average as compared to the local institutional pass mark of 50% and international standards score of 84%. There is a need to review the curriculum to cater for refresher training and advocate for certified CPR training before the completion of the study.