Retention of first aid and basic life support skills in undergraduate medical students
Background: Undergraduate medical students follow a compulsory first aid (FA) and basic life support (BLS) course. Retention of BLS seems poor and only little information is provided on the retention of FA skills. This study aims at evaluating 1- and 2-year retention of FA and BLS training in underg...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2014-11-01
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| Series: | Medical Education Online |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://med-ed-online.net/index.php/meo/article/download/24841/pdf_1 |
| _version_ | 1818142473778626560 |
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| author | Pim A. de Ruijter Heleen A. Biersteker Jan Biert Harry van Goor Edward C. Tan |
| author_facet | Pim A. de Ruijter Heleen A. Biersteker Jan Biert Harry van Goor Edward C. Tan |
| author_sort | Pim A. de Ruijter |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Undergraduate medical students follow a compulsory first aid (FA) and basic life support (BLS) course. Retention of BLS seems poor and only little information is provided on the retention of FA skills. This study aims at evaluating 1- and 2-year retention of FA and BLS training in undergraduate medical students. Methods: One hundred and twenty students were randomly selected from first year (n=349) medical students who successfully followed a compulsory FA and BLS course. From these 120 students, 94 (78%) and 69 (58%) participated in retention tests of FA and BLS skills after 1 and 2 years, respectively. The assessment consisted of two FA stations and one BLS station. Results: After 1 year, only 2% passed both FA and BLS stations and 68% failed both FA and BLS stations. After 2 years, 5% passed and 50% failed both FA and BLS stations. Despite the high failure rate at the stations, 90% adequately checked vital signs and started cardiopulmonary resuscitation appropriately. Conclusions: The long-term retention of FA and BLS skills after a compulsory course in the first year is poor. Adequate check of vital signs and commencing cardiopulmonary resuscitation retained longer. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T11:16:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-82dec24213534886ac640234cdeacbb0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1087-2981 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T11:16:20Z |
| publishDate | 2014-11-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Medical Education Online |
| spelling | doaj.art-82dec24213534886ac640234cdeacbb02022-12-22T01:09:19ZengTaylor & Francis GroupMedical Education Online1087-29812014-11-0119011010.3402/meo.v19.2484124841Retention of first aid and basic life support skills in undergraduate medical studentsPim A. de Ruijter0Heleen A. Biersteker1Jan Biert2Harry van Goor3Edward C. Tan4 Institute for Scientific Education and Research, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands Institute for Scientific Education and Research, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands Department of Surgery – Traumasurgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands Department of Surgery – Traumasurgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands Department of Surgery – Traumasurgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The NetherlandsBackground: Undergraduate medical students follow a compulsory first aid (FA) and basic life support (BLS) course. Retention of BLS seems poor and only little information is provided on the retention of FA skills. This study aims at evaluating 1- and 2-year retention of FA and BLS training in undergraduate medical students. Methods: One hundred and twenty students were randomly selected from first year (n=349) medical students who successfully followed a compulsory FA and BLS course. From these 120 students, 94 (78%) and 69 (58%) participated in retention tests of FA and BLS skills after 1 and 2 years, respectively. The assessment consisted of two FA stations and one BLS station. Results: After 1 year, only 2% passed both FA and BLS stations and 68% failed both FA and BLS stations. After 2 years, 5% passed and 50% failed both FA and BLS stations. Despite the high failure rate at the stations, 90% adequately checked vital signs and started cardiopulmonary resuscitation appropriately. Conclusions: The long-term retention of FA and BLS skills after a compulsory course in the first year is poor. Adequate check of vital signs and commencing cardiopulmonary resuscitation retained longer.http://med-ed-online.net/index.php/meo/article/download/24841/pdf_1basic life supportfirst aideducationmedical studentsretentionskills |
| spellingShingle | Pim A. de Ruijter Heleen A. Biersteker Jan Biert Harry van Goor Edward C. Tan Retention of first aid and basic life support skills in undergraduate medical students Medical Education Online basic life support first aid education medical students retention skills |
| title | Retention of first aid and basic life support skills in undergraduate medical students |
| title_full | Retention of first aid and basic life support skills in undergraduate medical students |
| title_fullStr | Retention of first aid and basic life support skills in undergraduate medical students |
| title_full_unstemmed | Retention of first aid and basic life support skills in undergraduate medical students |
| title_short | Retention of first aid and basic life support skills in undergraduate medical students |
| title_sort | retention of first aid and basic life support skills in undergraduate medical students |
| topic | basic life support first aid education medical students retention skills |
| url | http://med-ed-online.net/index.php/meo/article/download/24841/pdf_1 |
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