Research has demonstrated the lack of Basic Life Support skill acquisition and retention. The American Heart Association and the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation have released several publications discussing the importance of improving the retention of basic life support skills among healthcare professionals. The AMA recently began a new BLS course that incorporates video instruction into its program. This program has not been tested in South Africa. The current study is the first to test the new AHA BLS program with test subjects from the Addington Training Hospital Centre who have taken the new BLS course.
The researcher tested the participants three months after the initial training to determine the effect of the new BLS course on skills acquisition and retention. Aim The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the new AHA BLS course on BLS skills acquisition and retention by testing healthcare professionals three months after the initial course and test were taken. Methods The researcher conducted the test with healthcare professionals who had taken the new BLS course at the Addington Training Hospital Centre in Durban, South Africa. The test was on a voluntary basis.
The professionals were given a retest three months after taking the new BLS course, written test and critical skills test. Their scores were compared and several factors that were addressed via participant questionnaire and independent variables, sex and age, were interjected into the study results. Results The study found that results varied by occupation rather than by individual. The factors that were compared had only minor influence on the retest results. The most successful participants were the Senior Medical Officers and the Medical Officers; these two groups had improved test scores whereas the others all had lower retest scores.
One factor, the frequency in which a particpant reviewed the BLS manual between tests had a slight positive correlation to the retest results. Another slightly positive correlating factor was the usage of resuscitation skills on a regukar basis. Both these factors demonstrated a positive correlation when compared to group test results. When reviewing retest results on an individual level, the factors did not appear to have any particular influence on the outcome of the retest results. Discussion The overall study demonstrated the need for more research on video based instruction.
It did however gives significant insight into the BLS abilities of individuals by profession. This was an unforseen advantage. While the original intentions of this study was to indentify factors that improved the rate of retention in BLS course skills; it resulted in demonstrating what health professions need more BLS training. Interestingly, the learning style was found to be important. The Literature Review indicated that there is a large amount of support for matching the type of BLS training with the learning style of the student.
This could explain why video instruction is useful among some students and not others. Recommendations The researcher recommends that further study be conducted in the area of learning styles and corresponding instruction methods in BLS. This information can then be used to further investigate the retention and acquisition of BLS skills among specific healthcare professions. DECLARATION I …………………………………………………………………….. declare that (i) The research reported in this dissertation, except where otherwise indicated, is my original research.
(ii) This dissertation has not been submitted for any degree or examination at any other university. (iii) This dissertation does not contain other persons’ data, pictures, graphs or other information, unless specifically acknowledged as being sourced from other persons. (iv) This dissertation does not contain other persons’ writing, unless specifically acknowledged as being sourced from other researchers. Where other written sources have been quoted, then: a) their words have been re-written but the general information attributed to them has been referenced;
b) where their exact words have been used, their writing has been placed inside quotation marks, and referenced. (v) Where I have reproduced a journal publication of which I am an author, I have indicated in detail which part of the publication was actually written by myself alone and not by other authors, editors or others. (vi) This dissertation does not contain text, graphics or tables copied and pasted from the Internet, unless specifically acknowledged, and the source being detailed in the dissertation and in the References sections. Public Health Medicine Department,
Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine University of KwaZulu Natal South Africa December 24, 2016 This should include an unambiguous statement that this is the student’s own unaided original work except where specific indication is given to the contrary. If aided, the type of assistance received must be acknowledged. The statement that the work has not been submitted previously to this or any other University must also be included. The declaration must be signed by the candidate. Make sure that you read have read Rules for Students 9 (1) (e) (i) (ff) & (hh) before you sign this declaration