KNOWLEDGE, REGARDING ADVANCED CARDIAC LIFE SUPPORT AMONG NURSING STUDENTS OF UNIVERSITY OF LAHORE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71000/v8zwed42Keywords:
Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, , Clinical Competence, Defibrillation, Emergency Nursing, Knowledge Assessment, Nursing EducationAbstract
Background: Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) is a critical clinical intervention for managing cardiac emergencies such as sudden cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, and airway obstruction. Effective ACLS relies heavily on healthcare professionals’ ability to recognize early warning signs, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and deliver timely defibrillation using automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Despite its importance, nursing students often lack adequate exposure and training in ACLS, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where formal instruction and simulation-based learning are limited.
Objective: To assess the level of knowledge regarding ACLS among Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students at the University of Lahore and to identify areas requiring improvement for enhanced emergency preparedness.
Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted over three months among 161 BSN students selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire comprising seven knowledge-based items. Each correct response was scored on a dichotomous scale, and knowledge was categorized as poor (<50%), good (50–70%), or excellent (>70%). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 21, and associations between demographic variables and knowledge levels were tested using chi-square analysis.
Results: Among the 161 participants, 50.3% demonstrated poor knowledge, while 49.7% showed good knowledge; none achieved an excellent knowledge score. Significant associations were found between knowledge level and demographic factors such as age (p = 0.005), gender (p < 0.001), and year of study (p < 0.001). The highest mean knowledge score (1.98) was observed for taking action based on patient condition, while the lowest (1.56) was for understanding ACLS principles.
Conclusion: The study highlights considerable knowledge gaps in ACLS among nursing students, emphasizing the urgent need for structured training programs and simulation-based education to enhance clinical readiness in cardiac emergencies.
References
Stokes ST, Ismail L, Creamer KM. The Use of Remote Learning Techniques for Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Simulation Highlighting the Intersection Between Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Pathways. Cureus. 2024;16(12):e74974.
Hosomi S, Zha L, Kiyohara K, Kitamura T, Irisawa T, Ogura H, et al. Sex disparities in prehospital advanced cardiac life support in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Japan. Am J Emerg Med. 2023;64:67-73.
Yoon H, Kim KH, Ro YS, Park JH, Shin SD, Song KJ, et al. Sex Disparities in Prehospital Advanced Cardiac Life Support in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in South Korea. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2023;27(2):170-6.
Aziz K, Lee HC, Escobedo MB, Hoover AV, Kamath-Rayne BD, Kapadia VS, et al. Part 5: Neonatal Resuscitation: 2020 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Circulation. 2020;142(16_suppl_2):S524-s50.
Topjian AA, Raymond TT, Atkins D, Chan M, Duff JP, Joyner BL, Jr., et al. Part 4: Pediatric Basic and Advanced Life Support: 2020 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Circulation. 2020;142(16_suppl_2):S469-s523.
Panchal AR, Bartos JA, Cabañas JG, Donnino MW, Drennan IR, Hirsch KG, et al. Part 3: Adult Basic and Advanced Life Support: 2020 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Circulation. 2020;142(16_suppl_2):S366-s468.
Gu Y, Panda K, Spelde A, Jelly CA, Crowley J, Gutsche J, et al. Modernization of Cardiac Advanced Life Support: Role and Value of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiologist Intensivist in Post-Cardiac Surgery Arrest Resuscitation. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2024;38(12):3005-17.
Rob D, Smalcova J, Smid O, Kral A, Kovarnik T, Zemanek D, et al. Extracorporeal versus conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation for refractory out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a secondary analysis of the Prague OHCA trial. Crit Care. 2022;26(1):330.
Madavan KT. Effectiveness and perception of demonstration-observation- assistance-performance (DOAP) versus video-assisted learning (VAL) in training advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) among medical interns - A comparative study. J Educ Health Promot. 2022;11(1):412.
Morioka D, Sagisaka R, Nakagawa K, Takahashi H, Tanaka H. Effect of timing of advanced life support on out-of-hospital cardiac arrests at home. Am J Emerg Med. 2024;82:94-100.
Suverein MM, Delnoij TSR, Lorusso R, Brandon Bravo Bruinsma GJ, Otterspoor L, Elzo Kraemer CV, et al. Early Extracorporeal CPR for Refractory Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest. N Engl J Med. 2023;388(4):299-309.
Wagner D, Kronick SL, Nawer H, Cranford JA, Bradley SM, Neumar RW. Comparative Effectiveness of Amiodarone and Lidocaine for the Treatment of In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest. Chest. 2023;163(5):1109-19.
Rana, S. R. L., et al. (2021). "Assessment of Knowledge on Basic Life support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support in a Medical College of Kathmandu." 21(1): 17-22.
Shah, K. and D. J. J. o. S. R. Yugawa (2023). "Why and how should high school students learn Basic Life Support?"12(3).
Tadesse, M., Seid, S. A., Getachew, H., & Ali, S. A. (2022). Knowledge, attitude, and practice towards basic life support among graduating class health science and medical students at Dilla University; a cross sectional study. Annals of Medicine and Surgery, 82, 104588
Al-Zaareer, M. S., Leong, O. S., Azmi, I. S. M., Alhumaidi, B. N., Elneblawi, N. H., & Eltayeb, M. M. (2023). Exploring the impact of simulation on nursing students’ knowledge and skills during basic and advanced cardiac life support training in Saudi Arabia. Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology, 16(11), 5453-5461.
George, B., Hampton, K., & Elliott, M. (2023). Effectiveness of an educational intervention on first-year nursing students’ knowledge and confidence to perform basic life support: a quasi-experimental study. Contemporary Nurse, 59(6), 478-490.
Sharma, A., Goyal, S., Singh, N. C., Kothari, N., & Bhatia, P. (2023). The understanding of medical undergraduates and interns towards basic life support: a cross-sectional study. Ain-Shams Journal of Anesthesiology, 15(1).
Kim, S. H., Issenberg, B., & Roh, Y. S. (2020). The effects of simulation-based advanced life support education for nursing students. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 38(5), 240-245.
Adal, O. and S. J. S. O. M. Emishaw (2023). "Knowledge and attitude of healthcare workers toward advanced cardiac life support in Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, 2022." 11: 20503121221150101.
Ahmed, S., et al. (2021). "Systematic review on knowledge and skills level among nurses following cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training."
Kassabry, M. F. J. B. n. (2023). "The effect of simulation-based advanced cardiac life support training on nursing students’ self-efficacy, attitudes, and anxiety in Palestine: a quasi-experimental study." 22(1): 420.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Rabia Abbas, Muzzamil Khan Hussain Khan Khoso (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
