Assessment of knowledge and skills of registered nurses regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation at Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es salaam Tanzania

Abstract

Background: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) IS the procedure mostly done by nurses that requires the knowledge and skills of practitioners trained in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of cardiopulmonary an-est. There are measures that have been done to improve the CPR knowledge and practice among nurses, however, there has been no published study in Tanzania undertaken to asses ePR knowledge and practice among registered nurses who are leaders to most of clinical procedures in the hospital wards. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to assess knowledge and skills on cardiopulmonary resuscitation among registered nurses working in various wards at Muhimbili National Hospital. There were two specific objectives, which guided the study; the first was to assess knowledge on cardiopulmonary resuscitation among registered nurses at Muhimbili national hospital. Second was to assess practice of cardiopulmonary resuscitation among registered nurses at Muhimbili national hospital. Materials and Methods: The study employed a quantitative research methodology using a descriptive cross-sectional design. Study population was all registered nurses working in Muhimbili National Hospital. About 270 questionnaires were hand given to the respondents to asses their knowledge on ePR. In every ward, all available registered nurses who agreed to join in the study were asked to perform single rescuer BLS (basic life support) for 2 minutes 011 a manikin (Laerdal, Norway) placed supine on the floor to assess their practice on CPR. A bag-valve-mask device (BVM, Laerdal, Norway) for ventilation was also used. Skills on CPR practice were registered using the designed checklist. Collected data were analyzed using Epi Info 6 statistical packages to interpret the findings. Results: All results presented in percentages in this study were rounded off. In this study, 70% of respondents reported to have undergone training on CPR during their basic nursing training. In this study, 18% of respondents reported to have in service training on ePR. Seventy percent (70%) of the respondents were not able to mention fundamental approaches of the BLS. In this study, (45 %) of the respondents could only answer seven to nine cognitive questions on ePR correctly, therefore graded to have moderate knowledge on ePR basing on the criteria that was used by researchers to assess knowledge in this study. Majority of respondents (65%) reported and validated to have no ePR guidelines in

vu their working areas. On skill assessment, 217 participants (77%) demonstrated low to poor skil ls performances of CPR practice. Conclusion and recommendation: Registered nurses who participated in this study demonstrated considerable knowledge and skills gap in areas of identifying and application of the basic life saving measures (BLS) the process that gives a framework of CPR, in preservation of vital organs, and ultimately save life of the patient after cardiopulmonary arrest. From these findings, registered nurses, who are working at Muhimbili National Hospital, need to be provided with the in service training in order to update their knowledge for the benefit of their clients. This need to go together with the fact that each ward ought to be provided with easy to read/follow resuscitation guideline/algorithm to every staff in the ward for the easy referencing and standardized care. It is paramount important therefore, to establish a team of experts of CPR who will organize and formalise the training of CPR to enable registered nurses to have an updates in CPR knowledge for the benefits of clients in all working settings within the hospital. This will only be archived if the curriculum will be developed that will have to put the cardiopulmonary resuscitation as a must subject and prerequisite to employment in nursing.