Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Aug 2;86(9):5206-5210.
doi: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000002417. eCollection 2024 Sep.

A quality improvement project to enhance the knowledge, skills, and attitude of healthcare workers regarding the use of defibrillators

Fahad Gul  1 , Seemab Abid  1 , Shafia Khalid  1 , Shahrukh Khalid  1 , Iram Shad  2 , Samar Saleem  3 , Sardar Noman Qayyum  4 , Samim Noori  5
Affiliations

A quality improvement project to enhance the knowledge, skills, and attitude of healthcare workers regarding the use of defibrillators

Fahad Gul et al. Ann Med Surg (Lond). .

Abstract

Introduction: Defibrillation is a critical intervention in managing cardiac emergencies, yet healthcare workers (HCWs) preparation for utilizing defibrillators remains inadequate, particularly in low and middle-income countries. This quality improvement project aimed to assess and enhance HCWs' knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward defibrillator use in the emergency department (ED) through a 1-h defibrillator workshop.

Methodology: An observational clinical audit was conducted within the ED of a tertiary care hospital. Pre- and post-workshop data were collected from the participants using structured questionnaires for demographics, knowledge assessment (20 multiple-choice questions), skills assessment (10-step checklist), and attitude evaluation (Likert-scale statements). The workshop included theoretical instruction and hands-on practice, with a post-workshop assessment conducted one week later. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics and paired t-tests, while ethical considerations ensured confidentiality and consent.

Results: The study included 38 participants, demonstrating significant gaps in defibrillator knowledge, skills, and attitudes pre-workshop. Post-workshop assessments revealed a marked improvement in knowledge scores (P<0.05), attitudes (P<0.05), and practical skills (P<0.05). Participants' confidence and preparation for managing cardiac emergencies notably increased, indicating the workshop's efficacy in addressing the identified deficiencies.

Conclusion: The 1-h defibrillator workshop effectively enhanced HCWs' competence and readiness to utilize ED defibrillators. The observed improvements underscore the importance of targeted educational interventions in bridging knowledge gaps and fostering proactive attitudes toward emergency management. Regular training sessions should be conducted to sustain these enhancements and improve patient outcomes in the ED.

Keywords: clinical audit; defibrillation; defibrillator; emergency department; healthcare workers; knowledge; skills.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

All authors declare no conflict of interest.Sponsorships or competing interests that may be relevant to content are disclosed at the end of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The characteristics of the study participants. CPR, cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Knowledge assessment of participants pre- and post-workshop.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Attitude assessment of participants pre- and post-workshop.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Skill assessment of the participants pre- and post-workshop.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Deakin CD, Nolan JP. European Resuscitation Council Guidelines for Resuscitation 2005: Section 3. Electrical therapies: Automated external defibrillators, defibrillation, cardioversion and pacing. Resuscitation 2005;67:S25–S37. - PubMed
    1. Link MS, Berkow LC, Kudenchuk PJ, et al. Part 7: adult advanced cardiovascular life support: 2015 American Heart Association guidelines update for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care. Circulation 2015;132(18_suppl_2):S444–S464. - PubMed
    1. Schrading WA, Stein S, Eitel DR, et al. An evaluation of automated defibrillation and manual defibrillation by emergency medical technicians in a rural setting. Am J Emerg Med 1993;11:125–130. - PubMed
    1. Meaney PA, Bobrow BJ, Mancini ME, et al. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation quality: improving cardiac resuscitation outcomes both inside and outside the hospital: a consensus statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2013;128:417–435. - PubMed
    1. Abebe TA, Zeleke LB, Assega MA, et al. Health-care providers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation at Debre Markos Referral Hospital, Gojjam, Northwest Ethiopia. Adv Med Educ Pract 2021;12:647–654. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources