Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University basic life support for hospital staff evaluation of their attitudes and knowledge levels on the subject

Summary Aim: Healthcare professionals who, due to their professional working environments, have to encounter people in need of basic life support and apply basic life support to these people are expected to always have self-confidence, up-to-date knowledge and skills. This study aimed to investigate the level of knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University Hospital employees about basic life support , in line with the updates made in the universal basic life support guidelines. Materıals and Methods: Our study is a cross-sectional study conducted at Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University Hospital between November 2022 and May 2023. It was applied to actively working hospital employees. The survey form was prepared in 3 parts by the researchers in accordance with current guidelines and contains a total of 36 questions. It includes sociodemographic characteristics, personal education and qualification status questions, steps to be followed regarding basic life support, and questions to evaluate their approach and knowledge. The survey form was administered to 800 participants by face-to-face interview method. The data were evaluated with the total knowledge score. Results: A total of 800 people participated in our research. 53.5% (428) of them were women and 46.5% (372) were men. When classified according to professional groups, 34.9% (279) were doctors, 32.6% (261) were nurses. 32.5% (260) were auxiliary health personnel. The median total knowledge score of the participants was 53.48 out of 100 points. Among the general participants, the total knowledge score of doctors was found to be significantly higher than other professional groups (p<0.001). The total knowledge score of those with a master's degree was found to be significantly higher among the general participants (p<0.001). General participants. When basic life support training was compared according to their educational status, the total knowledge score of those who received training was significantly higher (p:0.007). The basic life support of those who encountered a person in need of basic life support was found to be significantly higher than those who did not. (p<0.001). The basic life support application status was compared and the basic life support of those who applied it was found to be significantly higher (p<0.001). Conclusıons: It was found that the knowledge level of Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University Hospital employees about basic life support was at an average level compared to other studies in the literature. It should be noted that our study is designed to measure the level of knowledge with non-standard questions determined by us, but not the skill. Many studies have shown that the permanence of knowledge lasts longer than skills. Among our suggestions is that the trainings that already exist in our hospital can be carried out with fewer people, more practice and at more frequent intervals. It may be mandatory to obtain a basic life support certificate and renew it at short intervals, especially in units where arrest patients are frequently encountered, such as intensive care and emergency rooms. In this way, higher survival rates and patient recovery rates with fewer sequelae in cases of in-hospital arrest can be achieved through self-confident and courageous hospital staff with knowledge and skills supported by current guidelines. Keywords: Level of knowledge, Current guideline, Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Basic life support,