Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
1997-1-3
pubmed:abstractText
It is essential that all health care professionals are regularly trained in the practice of basic life support (BLS). In most cases of cardiac arrest, the chances of a favourable outcome depend not only on efficient BLS, but also on the early use of defibrillation. In a hospital environment, the first responders are most likely to be members of the nursing staff. The potential advantage of these personnel being able to perform early defibrillation, as well as BLS, is considerable. We describe an initiative in which instruction in the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) was introduced into routine BLS training sessions, with the aim of developing this capability. Using specifically-acquired training aids, 43 nurses and nine other members of the non-medical staff were trained in 12 teaching sessions over a period of 4 months. Refresher training was carried out after 6 months and 37 nurses were retrained during six sessions using a similar syllabus. The programme was well-received by all students, and a higher than expected level of motivation and competence was achieved. Throughout retraining all nurses appreciated the key importance of early defibrillation. We conclude that, although the initial workload is high, it is entirely feasible to augment BLS training for health care professionals with instruction in the use of AEDs. We recommend that this potentially life-saving tuition programme be widely adopted.
pubmed:commentsCorrections
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Dec
pubmed:issn
0300-9572
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
30
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
231-35
pubmed:dateRevised
2009-8-25
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1995
pubmed:articleTitle
Towards early defibrillation--a nurse training programme in the use of automated external defibrillators.
pubmed:affiliation
Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Hospital, Akrotiri, Cyprus.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article