Vietnamese nursing students' knowledge in Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and perceptions of training in CPR

Abstract: Background Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) increases significantly the chance of survival in cases of a cardiac arrest. The ability to respond quickly and effectively to a cardiac arrest rests on nurses being competent, prepared and up-to-date. Nursing student’s knowledge in CPR and perceptions of their own training are crucial for the pursuit of the education of professional nurses.    Aim Investigate the prerequisites for a good care of patients in need of CPR by assessing  Vietnamese nursing students' knowledge in CPR as well as their perceptions on their education in CPR.      Method A quantitative, cross sectional-study was conducted. A modified version of a questionnaire developed by the Swedish council of CPR was used. Nursing students at University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Ho Chi Minh City were asked to participate. The gathered data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test and chi2 -test.   Result The participants answered right on 41 % of the questions (571/1404). The mean-score was 5.25 and the score ranged from 0 to 9 out of 13 points on the questionnaire. Participants answered correctly on most questions regarding basic CPR and were foremost wrong about questions regarding defibrillation. There was no association between a high result on the questionnaire and students rating a high grading on preparedness and/or satisfaction. No significant difference could be found based on gender.   Conclusion The knowledge in CPR, based on this survey, is generally low. One plausible explanation could be that the questionnaire did not fit the education of the participants.