Abstract 265: For How Long a Period Have Medical Students and Nurses Retained ACLS Skills?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether the period of retention of ACLS skills is different between medical students and registered nurses. METHODS: A prospective observational study was performed. Medical students and registered nurses were trained both BLS and ACLS based on the American Heart Association (AHA) 2005 Guidelines tools, and evaluated by skill performance tests based on the AHA 2005 BLS and ACLS tools in simulated environment, at immediately and 3 months after training. The registered nurses were similarly evaluated also at 9 months after training. RESULTS: A total of 197 medical students enrolled was trained, being assigned to 30 groups. Twenty four registered nurses in a general ward were trained, being assigned to 6 groups. In 3 months after training, the medical students retained the core skills of chest compression, which included the correct rate and adequate depth of chest compressions, delivering 30 compressions and 2 ventilations, and resuming chest compressions after shocks, whereas checking breathing, 2 ventilations with bag-valve-mask, or checking carotid pulse was done in only 33% of all groups. The airway management and drug use in the secondary ACLS survey and the effective communication and team dynamics were done in 30%-50% of all groups. The registered nurses also retained the core skills of chest compression and drug use in 3 months after training. Especially, effective communication and team dynamics were well-retained in all groups. In 9 months after training the registered nurses also retained, whereas both opening airway and first 2 ventilations were done in 50% of all groups. Checking carotid pulse or checking breathing was little done for at least 5 seconds but no more than 10 seconds. CONCLUSIONS: Through BLS and ACLS training, the registered nurses have well retained resuscitation skills, but they also have well demonstrated effective communication and team dynamics for longer period than medical students. Medical students are required short interval of retraining ACLS skills with team dynamics, similarly healthcare providers without performing resuscitation as daily work may be. In addition to this, it should be important to apply effectively different way to teach ACLS skills, such as e-learning or self-training.