Effect of Educational Intervention on Healthcare Workers’ Basic Life Support Knowledge and Practice in a Rural Tertiary Hospital in South Western Uganda

Abstract

Background: Basic Life Support (BLS) is critical for timely recognition and response to cardiac and respiratory arrest. However, BLS knowledge and practice remain low among healthcare workers in Uganda, especially in rural areas. Limited research has evaluated the effectiveness of structured BLS training intervention in such a setting. This study assessed the effect of an educational intervention on healthcare workers’ BLS knowledge and practice at Kitagata Hospital in Sheema District, Uganda. The intervention involved face-to-face educational training combined with high-fidelity simulation. BLS knowledge was assessed using a 13-item questionnaire, while practice was evaluated using a 23-point simulation checklist. Pre- and post-intervention scores were compared using paired t-tests. Methods: A quasi-experimental study using quantitative methods was conducted among 30 healthcare workers from Kitagata Hospital in Sheema district, Uganda. The intervention involved face-to-face educational training combined with high-fidelity stimulation. BLS knowledge was assessed using a 13-item questionnaire, while practice was evaluated using a 23-point stimulation checklist. Pre- and postintervention scores were compared using t-test. Data were analysed using STATA version 18. A paired t-test evaluated the training’s effect, and ANOVA compared outcomes across health worker categories. Results: The training intervention significantly improved BLS knowledge and practice among participants. The mean knowledge score was 4.87 (SD= 14.67) pretest and 12.47 (SD= 7.49) posttest, p < 0.001. The mean self-perceived self-practice score was 2.57 (SD= 17.76) pretest and 9.37 (SD= 7.65) posttest, p < 0.001; and researcher-observed practice improved by 11 (47.8%), SD 3.52, p = 0.001. Qualification level and experience had no significant impact on these outcomes. Conclusion: Baseline BLS knowledge and practice among health workers at Kitagata Hospital were poor. The educational intervention significantly enhanced both knowledge and practice. Simulation-based training proved effective in improving practical skills. Hospital administrations should regularly conduct refresher BLS trainings, provide accessible guidelines in strategic hospital areas, and integrate BLS into health worker training curricula. Future research should explore healthcare workers’ perceptions and attitudes toward BLS and identify barriers and facilitators to its application in clinical settings