Basic cardiac life support education for non-medical hospital employees
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Dr H G Song, Department of Emergency Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 135–710 Ilwon-Dong 50, Gangnam-Ku, Seoul, Korea; cprking{at}skku.edu
- Accepted 30 September 2008
Abstract
Background: The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) recommends that strategies should be implemented that promote cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training in the workplace. Non-medical employees at a hospital were therefore trained to conduct basic life support (BLS). Subject background information, test results and survey findings were examined and factors affecting BLS skill acquisition were studied.
Methods: Of 1432 non-medical employees at a hospital trained to conduct BLS, 880 agreed to participate in the survey. The training course consisted of a single session of 3 h of lectures, practice and testing. Skill acquisition was assessed using a 13-item skill checklist and a 5-point overall competency scale. The effects of age, gender, type of job, educational status, a previous history of CPR training and level of subject-perceived training difficulty were examined.
Results: According to total checklist scores, subjects achieved a mean (SD) score of 8.66 (3.57). 22.3% performed all 13 skills. Based on 5-point overall competency ratings, 43.7% of subjects were rated as “competent”, “very good” or “outstanding”. Age (<40 years and ≥40 years) was the only factor that significantly affected skill acquisition (skill acquisition by those ≥40 years of age was poorer than by those aged <40 years).
Conclusion: Traditional BLS training is less effective in individuals aged ≥40 years.
Footnotes
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Competing interests: None.
