First aid skill retention of first responders within the workplace
نویسندگان
چکیده
BACKGROUND Recent literature states that many necessary skills of CPR and first aid are forgotten shortly after certification. The purpose of this study was to determine the skill and knowledge decay in first aid in those who are paid to respond to emergency situations within a workplace. METHODS Using a choking victim scenario, the sequence and accuracy of events were observed and recorded in 257 participants paid to act as first responders in large industrial or service industry settings. A multiple choice exam was also written to determine knowledge retention. RESULTS First aid knowledge was higher in those who were trained at a higher level, and did not significantly decline over time. Those who had renewed their certificate one or more times performed better than those who had learned the information only once. During the choking scenario many skills were performed poorly, regardless of days since last training, such as hand placement and abdominal thrusts. Compressions following the victim becoming unconscious also showed classic signs of skill deterioration after 30 days. CONCLUSIONS As many skills deteriorate rapidly over the course of the first 90 days, changing frequency of certification is not necessarily the most obvious choice to increase retention of skill and knowledge. Alternatively, methods of regularly "refreshing" a skill should be explored that could be delivered at a high frequency - such as every 90 days.
منابع مشابه
CPR skill retention of first aid attendants within the workplace.
INTRODUCTION Immediate resuscitation is necessary in order to achieve conscious survival for persons who have lost airways or pulses. However, current literature suggests that even in medically-trained personnel, CPR skills are forgotten shortly after certification. HYPOTHESIS/PROBLEM The purpose of this study was to determine the CPR skill and knowledge decay in those who are paid to respond...
متن کاملAcquiring and maintaining competence in the application of extrication cervical collars by a group of first responders.
INTRODUCTION Research on skill acquisition and retention in the prehospital setting has focused primarily on resuscitation and defibrillation. Investigation into other first aid skills is required in order to validate practices and support training regimes. No studies have investigated competency using an extrication cervical collar for cervical spine immobilization. OBJECTIVE This study was ...
متن کاملFirst Things First: Effectiveness and Scalability of a Basic Prehospital Trauma Care Program for Lay First-Responders in Kampala, Uganda
BACKGROUND We previously showed that in the absence of a formal emergency system, lay people face a heavy burden of injuries in Kampala, Uganda, and we demonstrated the feasibility of a basic prehospital trauma course for lay people. This study tests the effectiveness of this course and estimates the costs and cost-effectiveness of scaling up this training. METHODS AND FINDINGS For six months...
متن کاملRetention 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 undergraduate medical students. METHODS One hundred and twenty students were randomly selected from fi...
متن کاملEnablers of the Implementation of Tissue Plasminogen Activator in Acute Stroke Care: A Cross-Sectional Survey
OBJECTIVE To assess emergency physicians' perceptions of individual and system enablers to the use of tissue Plasminogen Activator in acute stroke. METHOD Australian fellows and trainees of Australasian College for Emergency Medicine completed a 57-item online survey assessing enablers to implementation of evidence-based practice across six domains: knowledge, skills, modelling, monitoring, f...
متن کامل