THE EFFECT OF BASIC LIFE SUPPORT (BLS) TRAINING ON IMPROVING KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF NURSES AT MAYAPADA HOSPITAL BANDUNG

Abstract

Background: Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Nurses must master Basic Life Support (BLS) skills to handle cardiac arrest quickly and accurately. Preliminary studies at Mayapada Hospital Bandung revealed that nurses’ knowledge and skills related to BLS were still inadequate. Purpose: This study aimed to determine the effect of BLS training on improving nurses' knowledge and skills. Methods: A quantitative pre-experimental study with a one-group pre-post test design was conducted on 108 nurses. Instruments included a validated knowledge questionnaire (r<0.05; α=0.785) and an observation sheet based on American Heart Association (AHA) 2020 guidelines. Data were analyzed using Chi-Square and Paired Sample T-Test. Results: The average knowledge score increased from 64.07 before training to 94.06 after training (p=0.000). Skill scores increased from 27.78 to 100.00 (p=0.000). Conclusion: BLS training effectively improves nurses’ knowledge and skills. Regular training and continuous evaluation are needed to maintain preparedness for cardiovascular emergencies.