Students’ knowledge and attitudes toward basic life support

Abstract

Students spend a significant proportion of their day in colleges and healthcare facilities where they might experience medical emergencies, or unexpected accidents, that occur in these places. Nursing students are required to perform critical life support in a significant way. The aim of this research was to assess knowledge, attitudes, and training status regarding basic life support (BLS). In Taif University, Saudi Arabia conducted an online cross-sectional survey. The questions used in the questionnaire were prepared according to 2015 American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines. Most subjects (52.9%) reported that they had attended a BLS course. The average age of the participants in the sample was 21.64 years. The right responses were significantly affected by previous cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training (P=0.01). The students in this study found substantial differences between them: students with previous BLS training (58.3%) felt capable of offering CPR to their fellow college students, compared to (42.7%) in the community without previous training (P=0.01). Importantly, over all subjects the attitude to learning on a BLS training course was positive. This study concluded that the knowledge, skills and attitudes of trained students are better than those of untrained students.