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Impact of Basic Life Support Education on Basic Life Support Skills among Healthcare Workers in Nigeria

Abstract

Basic Life Support (BLS) is an essential component of emergency care because prompt and appropriate intervention can improve outcomes for individuals experiencing cardiac arrest, respiratory emergencies, and other life-threatening conditions. Healthcare workers are expected to possess adequate BLS skills because they may be required to provide immediate emergency assistance before advanced medical care becomes available. Basic Life Support education provides healthcare workers with knowledge and practical skills relating to recognition of cardiac arrest, activation of emergency response systems, high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation, airway management, rescue breathing, use of an automated external defibrillator where available, management of choking, and appropriate coordination during emergency response. Basic Life Support skills refer to healthcare workers' ability to correctly and safely perform essential emergency procedures, including recognition of life-threatening conditions, activation of emergency assistance, chest compressions, ventilation, airway management, use of an automated external defibrillator, and management of choking. In Nigeria, inadequate access to regular BLS training, limited opportunities for practical skills reinforcement, shortages of resuscitation equipment, high workloads, staff shortages, and variations in emergency response systems may affect healthcare workers' BLS competency. Effective BLS education may improve practical skills, confidence, emergency preparedness, and the ability to respond promptly and appropriately to life-threatening emergencies. Against this background, this study investigates the impact of Basic Life Support education on Basic Life Support skills among healthcare workers in Nigeria. The study is anchored on Social Cognitive Theory, Experiential Learning Theory, and the Knowledge-Attitude-Practice framework. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes the interaction between knowledge, self-efficacy, behavioural capabilities, social influences, and environmental conditions in shaping healthcare workers' emergency response behaviour. Experiential Learning Theory emphasizes learning through practical experience, demonstration, practice, reflection, and application, making it particularly relevant to skills-based BLS education. The Knowledge-Attitude-Practice framework provides a basis for understanding how improved knowledge resulting from structured BLS education may contribute to improved emergency response skills. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how BLS education may influence BLS skills among healthcare workers in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental research design. Primary data will be collected from healthcare workers in selected public and private healthcare facilities in Nigeria using a structured questionnaire, BLS knowledge assessment, and an objective structured practical skills assessment based on a standardized BLS checklist. A multistage sampling technique will be employed to select states, local government areas, healthcare facilities, clinical departments, and eligible healthcare workers. Where feasible, selected healthcare facilities or healthcare worker groups will be assigned to intervention and comparison groups. Healthcare workers in the intervention group will receive structured BLS education covering recognition of cardiac arrest, activation of emergency response systems, high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation, airway management, rescue breathing, automated external defibrillator use where available, choking management, emergency communication, and coordinated response procedures. BLS skills will be assessed through practical demonstrations or simulation using indicators such as recognition of cardiac arrest, activation of emergency assistance, correct chest-compression technique, appropriate ventilation, airway management, use of an automated external defibrillator, choking management, and adherence to the correct BLS sequence. Objective practical assessment will be prioritized over self-reported skill measures to improve the validity of the findings. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize healthcare workers' sociodemographic and professional characteristics, previous BLS training, BLS knowledge, exposure to education, and practical skills scores. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, paired-sample tests, independent-sample tests, and multiple regression analysis, will be used to determine the impact of BLS education on BLS skills. Where appropriate, pre-intervention and post-intervention practical skills scores will be compared. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability of the research instruments, model assumptions, goodness of fit, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that BLS education has a significant positive impact on BLS skills among healthcare workers in Nigeria. Healthcare workers exposed to structured BLS education are expected to demonstrate improved practical competency in cardiac arrest recognition, emergency response activation, chest compressions, ventilation, airway management, automated external defibrillator use, and choking management. Simulation-based education is expected to improve the ability of healthcare workers to translate theoretical knowledge into appropriate emergency actions and may strengthen confidence and response coordination. Regular refresher training and repeated practical assessment are also expected to improve skills retention over time. However, education alone may not guarantee sustained BLS competency because healthcare workers may continue to face barriers such as inadequate resuscitation equipment, limited access to automated external defibrillators, insufficient simulation facilities, high workloads, staff shortages, and limited opportunities for repeated skills practice. Consequently, BLS education is expected to be most effective when supported by regular simulation-based training, practical competency assessment, functional resuscitation equipment, supportive supervision, clear emergency response protocols, and continuous professional development. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on Basic Life Support, emergency care, healthcare worker competency, resuscitation training, cardiac arrest preparedness, patient safety, clinical education, and public health in Nigeria by providing empirical evidence on the impact of BLS education on BLS skills among healthcare workers. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, state ministries of health, hospitals, healthcare professional regulatory bodies, medical and nursing training institutions, emergency care programmes, hospital management authorities, professional associations, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for strengthening emergency response competency. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating BLS education into healthcare worker training and continuing professional development, expanding simulation-based training opportunities, conducting regular practical competency assessments, ensuring availability of appropriate resuscitation equipment, strengthening emergency response protocols, and promoting continuous skills reinforcement among healthcare workers in Nigeria.

Keywords: Basic Life Support education, Basic Life Support skills, healthcare workers, BLS competency, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, emergency care, resuscitation training, emergency preparedness, clinical skills, healthcare worker education, patient safety, cardiac arrest, public health, Nigeria.