A comparison of cardiopulmonary resuscitation between two groups of advanced practice student nurses at a medical training college in Kenya

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe and compare the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) competence of advanced practice student nurses at a medical training college in Kenya, who had undergone two different levels of CPR training, namely Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Basic Life Support (BLS) training. The study utilised a comparative, descriptive design to collect data from a sample of advanced practice student nurses (n = 71), who were invited and who agreed to participate. Participants were assigned to two groups based on the CPR training they had received; group I had received ALS training (n = 23) and group II, BLS training (n = 48). Students were assessed based on the American Heart Association (AHA, 2005) criteria. Only five students (7.04%) obtained a competency score of 90%. The mean scores for group 1 and group 11 were 12.3 (SD = 1.42) and 7.7 (SD = 2.38) respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in performance between the groups with a t-test p = 0.00001 and ANOVA P = 0.03. The null hypothesis was thus rejected. The study showed that CPR skill performance and competence are determined by the level of CPR training students received. Registered nurses who received ALS training performed better in CPR than those who received BLS training. Thus, ALS training is recommended for all nurses who enrol for advanced nursing courses.