Updating cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills: a study to examine the efficacy of self-instruction on nurses' competence

Self-regulated learning in simulation-based training: a systematic review and meta-analysis

CONTEXT

Self-regulated learning (SRL) requires an active learner who has developed a set of processes for managing the achievement of learning goals. Simulation-based training is one context in which trainees can safely practise learning how to learn.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate, in the simulation-based training context, the effectiveness of interventions designed to support trainees in SRL activities. We used the social-cognitive model of SRL to guide a systematic review and meta-analysis exploring the links between instructor supervision, supports or scaffolds for SRL, and educational outcomes.

METHODS

We searched databases including MEDLINE and Scopus, and previous reviews, for material published until December 2011. Studies comparing simulation-based SRL interventions with another intervention for teaching health professionals were included. Reviewers worked independently and in duplicate to extract information on learners, study quality and educational outcomes. We used random-effects meta-analysis to compare the effects of supervision (instructor present or absent) and SRL educational supports (e.g. goal-setting study guides present or absent).

RESULTS

From 11,064 articles, we included 32 studies enrolling 2482 trainees. Only eight of the 32 studies included educational supports for SRL. Compared with instructor-supervised interventions, unsupervised interventions were associated with poorer immediate post-test outcomes (pooled effect size: -0.34, p = 0.09; n = 19 studies) and negligible effects on delayed (i.e. > 1 week) retention tests (pooled effect size: 0.11, p = 0.63; n = 8 studies). Interventions including SRL supports were associated with small benefits compared with interventions without supports on both immediate post-tests (pooled effect size: 0.23, p = 0.22; n = 5 studies) and delayed retention tests (pooled effect size: 0.44, p = 0.067; n = 3 studies).

CONCLUSIONS

Few studies in the simulation literature have designed SRL training to explicitly support trainees' capacity to self-regulate their learning. We recommend that educators and researchers shift from thinking about SRL as learning alone to thinking of SRL as comprising a shared responsibility between the trainee and the instructional designer (i.e. learning using designed supports that help prepare individuals for future learning).

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation knowledge and skills of registered nurses in Botswana

BACKGROUND

In Botswana nurses provide most health care in the primary, secondary and tertiary level clinics and hospitals. Trauma and medical emergencies are on the increase, and nurses should have cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) knowledge and skills in order to be able to implement effective interventions in cardiac arrest situations.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this descriptive study was to assess registered nurses’ CPR knowledge and skills.

METHOD

A pre-test, intervention and re-test time-series research design was adopted, and data were collected from 102 nurses from the 2 referral hospitals in Botswana. A multiple-choice questionnaire and checklist were used to collect data.

RESULTS

All nurses failed the pre-test. Their knowledge and skills improved after training, but deteriorated over the three months until the post-test was conducted.

CONCLUSION

The significantly low levels of registered nurses’ CPR skills in Botswana should be addressed by instituting country-wide CPR training and regular refresher courses

The effect of coping knowledge on emergency preparedness in elementary school students

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of coping knowledge for emergency preparedness in Korean elementary school students. A school-based coping education program was provided seven times to 271 fourth- and fifth-grade students in two urban schools by researchers with the school nurses. The Process Model of Stress and Coping and Self-Care Deficit Theory were the theoretical frameworks used to guide this research. The Coping Knowledge for Emergency Situations Questionnaire, developed by the authors, was used to gather data. In the coping education group, there was statistically significant improvement in the coping knowledge (t = 4.589, p < .001) from that of the control group (n = 270). The results highlight the importance of emergency preparedness for elementary school students and the need to develop educational programs for various emergency situations.

Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation challenges in selected Botswana hospitals: Nurse managers’ views

Road traffic accident victims, as well as persons experiencing cardiac and other medical emergencies, might lose their lives due to the non-availability of trained personnel to provide effective cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with functional equipment and adequate resources. The objectives of the study were to identify unit managers’ perceptions about challenges encountered when performing CPR interventions in the two referral public hospitals in Botswana. These results could be used to recommend more effective CPR strategies for Botswana’s hospitals. Interviews, comprising two quantitative sections with closed ended questions and one qualitative section with semi-structured questions, were conducted with 22 unit managers. The quantitative data indicated that all unit managers had at least eight years’ nursing experience, and could identify CPR shortcomings in their hospitals. Only one interviewee had never performed CPR. The qualitative data analysis revealed that the hospital units sometimes had too few staff members and did not have fully equipped emergency trolleys and/or equipment. No CPR teams and no CPR policies and guidelines existed. Nurses and doctors reportedly lacked CPR knowledge and skills. No debriefing services were provided after CPR encounters. The participating hospitals should address the following challenges that might affect CPR outcomes: shortages of staff, overpopulation of hospital units, shortcomings of the emergency trolleys and CPR equipment, absence of CPR policies and guidelines, absence of CPR teams, limited CPR competencies of doctors and nurses and the lack of debriefing sessions after CPR attempts.Die slagoffers van padongelukke, asook persone wat hart- en ander mediese noodtoestande ervaar, kan hulle lewens verloor omdat daar nie opgeleide personeel met funksionele toerusting en voldoende hulpbronne beskikbaar is om effektiewe kardiopulmonale resussitasie (KPR) te doen nie. Die studie het ten doel gehad om eenheidsbestuurders se persepsies te bepaal oor uitdagings wat hulle in die gesig staan wanneer KPR-tussentredes plaasvind in die twee openbare hospitale in Botswana wat as verwysingshospitale dien. Die bevindings kan gebruik word om effektiewer KPR-strategieë vir Botswana se hospitale aan te beveel. Onderhoude bestaande uit twee kwantitatiewe afdelings met geslote vrae en een kwalitatiewe afdeling met semi-gestruktureerde vrae is met 22 eenheidsbestuurders gevoer. Die kwantitatiewe data het aangedui dat alle eenheidsbestuurders minstens agt jaar se verpleegervaring het en dat hulle die tekortkomings sover dit KPR in hulle hospitale aangaan, kon identifiseer. Slegs een persoon het nog nooit KPR toegepas nie. Die ontleding van die kwalitatiewe data dui daarop dat hospitaaleenhede soms te min personeel het en dat hulle nie ten volle toegeruste noodtrollies en/of toerusting het nie. Geen KPR-spanne en geen KPR-beleid of -riglyne bestaan nie. Verpleegkundiges en dokters het volgens die onderhoude ‘n gebrek aan KPR-kennis en -vaardighede. Geen ontlontingsdienste is na KPR-voorvalle vir die personeel beskikbaar nie. Die deelnemende hospitale behoort die uitdagings aan te spreek wat KPR-uitkomste kan beinvloed. Hierdie uitdagings sluit in personeeltekorte, oorbesetting in hospitaaleenhede, tekortkomings in die noodtrollies en toerusting, die gebrek aan KPR-beleid en -riglyne, die afwesigheid van KPR-spanne, dokters en verpleegsters se beperkte KPR-vaardighede en die feit dat ontlontingsdienste nie na KPR-pogings vir personeellede beskikbaar is nie.

Improving code blue response through the use of simulation

In this research project, the response times to chest compressions, first defibrillation, and first dose of epinephrine in cardiac arrest were measured over a 3-month period through retrospective chart reviews. All nursing staff then participated in random, unannounced mock code blue drills using a high-fidelity patient simulator. After 3 months of code blue drills, the variables were again measured in patient code blue situations and compared with the response times before training. At the conclusion of this study, the response times for start of chest compressions and epinephrine administration improved significantly; the response time to defibrillation did not improve significantly. The response times were measured for an additional 3-month period to assess if the improvement was sustained.

Impact of a web based interactive simulation game (PULSE) on nursing students' experience and performance in life support training--a pilot study

The delivery of effective life support measures is highly associated with the quality, design and implementation of the education that underpins it. Effectively responding to a critical event is a requirement for all nurses illustrating the need for effective educational approaches from pre-registration training through to enhancing and maintaining life support skills after qualification. This paper reports the findings of utilising a web-based multimedia simulation game PULSE (Platform for Undergraduate Life Support Education). The platform was developed to enhance the student experience of life support education, to motivate on-going learning and engagement and to improve psychomotor skills associated with the provision of Intermediate Life Support (ILS) training. Pre training participants played PULSE and during life support training data was collected from an intervention and a control group of final year undergraduate nursing students (N=34). Quantitative analysis of performance took place and qualitative data was generated from a questionnaire assessing the learning experience. A statistically significant difference was found between the competence the groups displayed in the three skills sets of checking equipment, airway assessment and the safe/effective use of defibrillator at ILS level, and PULSE was positively evaluated as an educational tool when used alongside traditional life support training.

A comparative study of defibrillation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation performance during simulated cardiac arrest in nursing student teams

BACKGROUND

Although nurses must be able to respond quickly and effectively to cardiac arrest, numerous studies have demonstrated poor performance. Simulation is a promising learning tool for resuscitation team training but there are few studies that examine simulation for training defibrillation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (D-CPR) in teams from the nursing education perspective. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which nursing student teams follow the D-CPR-algorithm in a simulated cardiac arrest, and if observing a simulated cardiac arrest scenario and participating in the post simulation debriefing would improve team performance.

METHODS

We studied video-recorded simulations of D-CPR performance in 28 nursing student teams. Besides describing the overall performance of D-CPR, we compared D-CPR performance in two groups. Group A (n = 14) performed D-CPR in a simulated cardiac arrest scenario, while Group B (n = 14) performed D-CPR after first observing performance of Group A and participating in the debriefing. We developed a D-CPR checklist to assess team performance.

RESULTS

Overall there were large variations in how accurately the nursing student teams performed the specific parts of the D-CPR algorithm. While few teams performed opening the airways and examination of breathing correctly, all teams used a 30:2 compression: ventilation ratio.We found no difference between Group A and Group B in D-CPR performance, either in regard to total points on the check list or to time variables.

CONCLUSION

We found that none of the nursing student teams achieved top scores on the D-CPR-checklist. Observing the training of other teams did not increase subsequent performance. We think all this indicates that more time must be assigned for repetitive practice and reflection. Moreover, the most important aspects of D-CPR, such as early defibrillation and hands-off time in relation to shock, must be highlighted in team-training of nursing students.

CPR Training for Nurses: How often Is It Necessary?

BACKGROUND

The ability to respond quickly and effectively to a cardiac arrest situation rests on nurses being competent, prepared and up-to-date in the emergency life-saving procedure of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This study aimed to determine the extent to which nurses acquire and retain CPR cognitive knowledge and psychomotor skills following CPR training courses.

METHODS

A quasi-experiment was used. CPR knowledge of 112 nurses was assessed via a questionnaire using valid multiple-choice questions. An observatory standard checklist was used and CPR performance on manikins was evaluated to assess psychomotor skills (before the course baseline, after the course, after 10 weeks and then 2 years after the 4 hours CPR training course). Scores were based on a scale of 1 to 20.

RESULTS

A mean baseline score of 10.67 (SD=3.06), a mean score of 17.81 (SD=1.41) after the course, 15.26 (SD=3.17) 10 weeks after and 12.86 (SD=2.25), 2 years after the 4 hours CPR training course was noticed. Acquisition of knowledge and psychomotor skills of the nurses following a four-hour training program was significant. However, significant deterioration in both CPR knowledge and psychomotor skills was observed 2 years after the training program among 42 nurses.

CONCLUSION

The study findings present strong evidence to support the critical role of repetitive periodic CPR training courses to ensure that nurses were competent, up to date and confident responders in the event of a cardiac arrest.

Resuscitation Guidelines 2005: does experienced nursing staff need training and how effective is it?

INTRODUCTION

Even among health care professionals, resuscitation performance has been shown to be poor. So far, it remains unclear whether cardiac arrest staff with frequent practice in resuscitation requires training to adapt to the new International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) guidelines of 2005. This study evaluated the need for basic life support training in nurses with emergency experience.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Nurses (N = 24) recruited from an intensive care unit self-assessed their resuscitation skills and performed a cardiac arrest scenario using a manikin. After a theoretical instruction and hands-on training followed by feedback, participants once again performed a resuscitation scenario in addition to completing posttraining self-assessments. Participating nurses considered resuscitation skills training--in particular in adapting to the new ILCOR guidelines of 2005--to be important. Pretraining data revealed performance deficits even in this sample of emergency-experienced nursing staff. Training resulted in significant improvement in ventilation volume (P < .001), rate of compressions with correct depth (P < .031) and full release (P < .001), and a reduction in total hands-off time (P < .050). Objective data were mirrored in participants' self-assessed competencies.

CONCLUSION

Results suggest that basic life support training based on the ILCOR guidelines of 2005 is necessary even in nurses with emergency experience. Training followed by the application of a feedback algorithm seems to improve short-term resuscitation performance and is well accepted by experienced nurses who work on an intensive care unit and who also comprise the inner-hospital cardiac arrest team.

Newborn resuscitation in resource-limited settings

Every year, an estimated 4 million newborn infants die worldwide in the first 4 weeks of life. A large majority of these deaths occurs during the first day of life. One of the United Nations' eight Millennium Development Goals is to decrease child mortality; prevention of neonatal deaths by appropriate resuscitation will have a significant impact on achieving this goal. Newborn resuscitation needs to be carried out in all the settings where asphyxiated babies are born, including: community or domiciliary settings for home births; rural health centers/midwifery stations, where attendants with basic resuscitation skills might be available; district-level facilities where staff are available but skills vary; and urban referral and tertiary care centers. Individuals at all levels require training and seldomly used skills need to be maintained so that, when required, resuscitation can be carried out efficiently and effectively. Simple resuscitation techniques include: positioning, drying, and keeping the baby warm; assessing the heart rate, color, and respirations; recognizing the need for, and administering, assisted ventilation with a bag and mask or tube and mask. These maneuvers can be carried out with simple equipment and appropriate training. Research in developing countries remains sparse, with 90% of research being done in more developed parts of the world, which experience just 10% of the problems. The significant gaps in our understanding include: failing to agree on a definition of the term 'asphyxia', lack of knowledge of the impact of community approaches on the prevention and management of asphyxia, and a failure to recognize the best method to determine heart rate.

Checklists for assessment and certification of clinical procedural skills omit essential competencies: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To develop generic criteria for the global assessment of clinical procedural competence and to quantify the extent to which existing checklists allow for holistic assessment of procedural competencies.

METHODS

We carried out a systematic review and qualitative analysis of published clinical procedural skills assessment checklists and enumerated the contents of each. Source materials included all English-language papers published from 1990 to June 2005, identified from 18 databases, which described or referred to an assessment document for any clinical procedural skill. A pair of reviewers identified key generic themes and sub-themes through in-depth analysis of a subset of 20 checklists with iterative agreement and independent retesting of a coding framework. The resulting framework was independently applied to all checklists by pairs of reviewers checking for the emergence of new themes and sub-themes. Main outcome measures were identification of generic clinical procedural skills and the frequency of occurrence of each in the identified checklists.

RESULTS

We identified 7 themes ('Procedural competence', represented in 85 [97%] checklists; 'Preparation', 65 [74%]; 'Safety', 45 [51%]; 'Communication and working with the patient', 32 [36%]; 'Infection control', 28 [32%]; 'Post-procedural care', 24 [27%]; 'Team working', 13 [15%]) and 37 sub-themes, which encapsulated all identified checklists. Of the sub-themes, 2 were identified after the initial coding framework had been finalised.

CONCLUSIONS

It is possible to develop generic criteria for the global assessment of clinical procedural skills. A third and a half of checklists, respectively, do not enable explicit assessment of the key competencies 'Infection control' and 'Safety'. Their assessment may be inconsistent in assessments which use such checklists.

Common errors made in resuscitation of respiratory and cardiac arrest

The information contained in this article is based on the personal experience of the author and her colleagues. The author's experience includes: staff nurse in medical surgical and critical care nursing, midnight shift supervisor of six medical surgical nursing units in an urban teaching hospital (responsibilities included attending all codes in the department), staff nurse in a combined inpatient/outpatient postanesthesia care unit, nurse clinician/educator for multiple preoperation and postanesthesia care units, and attendance at numerous mortality and morbidity conferences held by the department of anesthesia. Research for this article included interviews with several colleagues with experience in medical surgical and critical care nursing as staff nurses, supervisors (responsible to attend codes), and staff educators. One colleague interviewed is also a regional faculty member of the American Heart Association and also a member of the CPR Committee of a large metropolitan teaching institution. The purpose of this article is to assist nurses in becoming more confident and comfortable in providing the interventions required by patients during resuscitation.

A midwife program of newborn resuscitation

A very small proportion of newborns fail to establish a normal respiratory pattern without some assistance at birth and newborns requiring resuscitative measures at birth should have a skilled practitioner able to provide it. In this small hospital midwives felt unskilled in newborn resuscitation and paediatricians were not always immediately available. A stakeholder group gathered to discuss the problem. A training program was implemented that improved the skills, confidence and support of the attending midwife to resuscitate the newborn effectively. The aim was to improve the outcome for the infant whilst maintaining the mother's choice of birthing in a small local hospital close to family and friends.

BCLS Certification of the Nursing Staff

This article describes the application of the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice to Promote Quality Care to creating standards of practice for Basic Cardiac Life Support certification of the nursing staff at a merged health center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Selected outcomes and adopted practice guidelines are presented.

Nurses' knowledge and skill retention following cardiopulmonary resuscitation training: a review of the literature

AIM

This paper reports a literature review examining factors that enhance retention of knowledge and skills during and after resuscitation training, in order to identify educational strategies that will optimize survival for victims of cardiopulmonary arrest.

BACKGROUND

Poor knowledge and skill retention following cardiopulmonary resuscitation training for nursing and medical staff has been documented over the past 20 years. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation training is mandatory for nursing staff and is important as nurses often discover the victims of in-hospital cardiac arrest. Many different methods of improving this retention have been devised and evaluated. However, the content and style of this training lack standardization.

METHOD

A literature review was undertaken using the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE and British Nursing Index databases and the keywords 'cardiopulmonary resuscitation', 'basic life support', 'advanced life support' and 'training'. Papers published between 1992 and 2002 were obtained and their reference lists scrutinized to identify secondary references, of these the ones published within the same 10-year period were also included. Those published in the English language that identified strategies to enhance the acquisition or retention of Cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills and knowledge were included in the review.

RESULTS

One hundred and five primary and 157 secondary references were identified. Of these, 24 met the criteria and were included in the final literature sample. Four studies were found pertaining to cardiac arrest simulation, three to peer tuition, four to video self-instruction, three to the use of different resuscitation guidelines, three to computer-based learning programmes, two to voice-activated manikins, two to automated external defibrillators, one to self-instruction, one to gaming and the one to the use of action cards.

CONCLUSIONS

Resuscitation training should be based on in-hospital scenarios and current evidence-based guidelines, including recognition of sick patients, and should be taught using simulations of a variety of cardiac arrest scenarios. This will ensure that the training reflects the potential situations that nurses may face in practice. Nurses in clinical areas, who rarely see cardiac arrests, should receive automated external defibrillation training and have access to defibrillators to prevent delays in resuscitation. Staff should be formally assessed using a manikin with a feedback mechanism or an expert instructor to ensure that chest compressions and ventilations are adequate at the time of training. Remedial training must be provided as often as required. Resuscitation training equipment should be made available at ward/unit level to allow self-study and practice to prevent deterioration between updates. Video self-instruction has been shown to improve competence in resuscitation. An in-hospital scenario-based video should be devised and tested to assess the efficacy of this medium in resuscitation training for nurses.

Teaching basic life support skills using self-directed learning, a self-instructional video, access to practice manikins and learning in pairs

Applying adult learning principles in healthcare education is increasingly recognised as useful and effective. We designed and evaluated an educational package for medical student basic life support (BLS) skills that placed the responsibility of skill acquisition with the learner. The package provided hardcopy and web based information, an in-house produced audio-video tape demonstrating BLS, and open access to manikins in a Skills Centre where the students learnt in pairs. Students determined when they were ready to be assessed. This assessment was performed by two independent observers using the Resuscitation Council (UK) BLS assessment sheet. Two groups, comprising in total 51 fourth year medical students were assessed, 47 were found to be competent in performing BLS on their first assessment. Of the remaining four, three were assessed as competent after further self-directed learning and retesting. Only one student required personal tutoring prior to success. Self-directed learning is a successful method of mastering BLS. Where failure occurred, it was due to inadequate student learning in the Skills Centre. The importance of practice needs emphasis in future use of the programme, as does the virtual guarantee of success, if all steps are followed. A similar programme could be devised for other technical skills.

Nurses' behaviour regarding CPR and the theories of reasoned action and planned behaviour

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has been used in hospitals for approximately 40 years. Nurses are generally the first responders to a cardiac arrest and initiate basic life support while waiting for the advanced cardiac life support team to arrive. Speed and competence of the first responder are factors contributing to the initial survival of a person following a cardiac arrest. Attitudes of individual nurses may influence the speed and level of involvement in true emergency situations. This paper uses the theories of reasoned action and planned behaviour to examine some behavioural issues with CPR involvement.