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Impact of First-Aid Demonstrations on First-Aid Skill Retention among University Students in Nigeria

Abstract

First-aid knowledge and skills are important components of emergency preparedness and injury prevention, particularly among university students who may encounter injuries, accidents, sudden illnesses, burns, bleeding, fractures, choking, fainting, and other emergencies within campuses and surrounding communities. Although many students may have basic awareness of first aid, limited practical training and lack of repeated skills practice may result in poor confidence, incorrect technique, and loss of first-aid skills over time. First-aid demonstrations provide an opportunity for students to observe and practise essential emergency-response procedures in a practical and structured manner. However, the extent to which demonstration-based training contributes to the retention of first-aid skills among university students in Nigeria requires further investigation. Against this background, this study investigates the impact of first-aid demonstrations on first-aid skill retention among university students in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on Social Cognitive Theory, Experiential Learning Theory, and the Health Belief Model. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes observational learning, behavioural modelling, self-efficacy, reinforcement, and feedback in the acquisition and maintenance of practical skills. Experiential Learning Theory explains how students learn through concrete experience, observation and reflection, conceptual understanding, and active practice. The Health Belief Model explains how students' perceptions of the seriousness of emergencies, perceived benefits of first-aid intervention, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, and cues to action may influence their willingness to acquire and retain first-aid skills. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how first-aid demonstrations may influence the retention of emergency-response skills among university students in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental research design. The study population will comprise undergraduate and postgraduate students aged 18 years and above enrolled in selected public and private universities across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select geopolitical zones, states, universities, faculties or departments, levels of study, and eligible students. First-aid demonstrations will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to practical demonstrations, frequency and duration of demonstrations, trainer competence, demonstration of emergency procedures, use of mannequins or simulation materials, opportunity for supervised practice, feedback and correction, repetition of procedures, and availability of instructional materials. First-aid skill retention will be assessed using practical performance indicators such as appropriate response to an emergency, scene-safety assessment, activation of emergency assistance, cardiopulmonary resuscitation procedures where included in the approved training protocol, bleeding control, management of burns, recovery-position technique, choking response, basic fracture and injury management, appropriate sequencing of first-aid actions, and accuracy of practical performance during follow-up assessments. Skill retention will be assessed at multiple time points, such as immediately after training and at predetermined follow-up periods, to determine whether acquired skills are maintained over time. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, standardized first-aid knowledge assessments, practical skills checklists, objective structured practical assessments, simulation-based performance assessments, and pre-test, immediate post-test, and follow-up assessments. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize students' demographic and academic characteristics, previous first-aid experience, exposure to training, baseline knowledge, practical performance, and follow-up skill-retention scores. Inferential statistical techniques, including paired and independent t-tests, repeated-measures analysis where appropriate, chi-square tests, correlation analysis, and regression analysis, will be used to determine the impact of first-aid demonstrations on skill retention. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that first-aid demonstrations have a significant positive impact on first-aid skill retention among university students in Nigeria. Students exposed to practical, structured, and repeated demonstrations are expected to demonstrate better retention of first-aid skills during follow-up assessments than students who receive limited or primarily theoretical instruction. Demonstrations may improve students' understanding of correct procedures, strengthen psychomotor skills, increase confidence, and reduce errors during emergency-response simulations. Opportunities for supervised practice, immediate feedback, repetition, and realistic scenarios may further improve long-term retention. However, skill decay may occur when students have limited opportunities to practise after training, while insufficient training materials, inadequate instructors, large class sizes, limited simulation facilities, and low exposure to real or simulated emergencies may reduce retention. The study therefore expects practical and repeated first-aid demonstrations, supported by supervised skills practice and periodic refresher training, to contribute significantly to improved retention of first-aid skills among university students in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on first aid, emergency preparedness, injury prevention, health education, emergency-response skills, university student health, experiential learning, practical skills training, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Education, universities, university health centres, emergency medical services, first-aid organizations, healthcare professionals, student organizations, public health practitioners, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving emergency preparedness among young adults. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating practical first-aid demonstrations into university health programmes, providing regular refresher training, strengthening simulation-based learning, improving access to first-aid training equipment, incorporating practical assessments into first-aid education, and developing sustainable campus emergency-preparedness programmes that improve the long-term retention of first-aid skills among university students across Nigeria.

Keywords: First-aid demonstrations, first-aid skill retention, university students, emergency preparedness, first-aid training, practical skills, injury prevention, emergency response, health education, simulation-based learning, Nigeria, public health.