Attitude and Barriers to Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation among Nurses at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria Nigeria

Abstract

Nurses are often the first to respond to cardiac arrest cases and initiate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in hospitals. Despite their critical role, survival rates in low-resource settings, such as Nigeria, remain poor. This is often due to factors that negatively affect the quality of CPR provided, including the nurses' experience, anxiety, and confidence, as well as the availability of necessary equipment. This study aimed to evaluate the attitudes and perceived barriers to emergency CPR among nurses at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH). A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire with Likert-scale items to collect data from a judgmental sample of 145 nurses at ABUTH. The study received ethical approval, and data from 134 respondents were analyzed using SPSS version 26. The questionnaire's reliability was assessed with a pilot study, yielding a Cronbach's Alpha score of r = 0.725. The findings revealed an overall negative attitude toward emergency CPR among the nurses, with an aggregate mean score of 2.43 (on a scale where < 2.5 is negative). Over half of the nurses (52.2%) stated they would avoid performing CPR if given the chance. Key barriers identified included a shortage of manpower (70.2% strongly agreed) and the lack of an emergency response team (57.4% strongly agreed). Other significant barriers were a lack of adequate knowledge (61.2% strongly agreed) and training (56.7% strongly agreed), as well as insufficient or malfunctioning equipment. The study concludes that nurses' attitudes toward CPR at ABUTH are suboptimal due to several factors, including insufficient knowledge, lack of equipment, personal stress, fear of infection, and staff shortages. Addressing these barriers through improved training, forming dedicated emergency teams, and ensuring adequate staffing and resources is crucial to improving CPR outcomes.