Abstract
This study objectively assessed changes in the quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) Performed by 34 nurses outside of the emergency medicine field who had no prior experience with CPR. Aspects of CPR quality were assessed before nurses participated in a basic life support (BLS) course for healthcare providers and immediately and 3 months after the course completing the course. Overall, 49.4%, 58.5%, and 61.0% of the subjects performed chest compressions satisfactorily before, immediately after, and 3 months after the course, respectively. The compression depths were 43.4mm, 45.5mm, and 46.9mm before, immediately after, and 6 months after the course, respectively. The corresponding adequate recoil allowance rates were 91.5%, 92.7%, and 95.0%, respectively, and the corresponding correct compression performance rates were 28.4%, 31.7%, and 58.79% 6 months after the course, respectively. Correct hand positioning was used by 91.4%, 96.0%, and 96.3% of subjects before, immediately after, and 3 months after the course, respectively. All measured performance indices improved at 3 months after the BLS course. At this time point, the chest compression quality improved presumably because the course simulated a clinical setting and fostered a mindset that would allow the trainee to react under actual conditions. In the future, the chest compression quality should be assessed at 6 months and 1 year after course completion to facilitate decision-making regarding the methods of instruction needed to maintain CPR quality.
