Cardiopulmonary resuscitation knowledge among nursing students: a questionnaire-based study

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that healthcare providers and lay people should learn to perform high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for improving survival among sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) victims (1). Each year more than 350.000 people die in the United States and millions die around the world because of cardiovascular diseases (2). Consequently, people who are professionally trained to provide life-saving measures should have the basic knowledge, skills, and confidence to do so. Although the technical skills to perform CPR appear to be quite simple, many healthcare providers lack the confidence to use them and are not updated with knowledge based on the current guidelines (3).

Training nursing students from the outset of their career to perform high-quality CPR promises the improvement in SCA survival rates owing to professionally trained care providers. In a study conducted by Vural et al. (4), nursing students had high scores pertaining to CPR knowledge but low scores pertaining to skills. The author stated that this gap between knowledge and skills may have been related to not being updated with the knowledge based on the 2010 AHA guidelines during the study period. These findings are consistent with CPR literature that shows that knowledge and skills significantly decrease after training and prior to recertification (5).

Although CPR recertification and annual mock training programs are essential, additional efforts are necessary to evaluate the long-term outcome of both the training programs and participants. These training programs and healthcare organizations must include the most current CPR updates. Every 5 years, the AHA and the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation provide valuable information to improve SCA outcomes based on the best clinical evidence and continued research of resuscitation practices (6). This collaboration of information allows these organizations to improve CPR findings in areas of controversy and where there is limited data. Thus, healthcare providers must stay updated with the latest AHA recommendations to improve patient outcomes. In addition, researchers should continue to write articles like the one written by Vural et al. (4) to demonstrate the need for sustained training of CPR among nursing students worldwide. Owing to the high death rate associated with cardiac arrest in and out of hospital settings, healthcare providers must be competent and confident in providing CPR (1). According to AHA, as long as the rate of survival remains low for SCA victims, professionally trained care providers, healthcare organizations, and AHA must remain vigilant in mandating proficiency of CPR skills for all.