Relationship Between Nurses' Adult CPR-Related Knowledge, Attitudes and Self-Efficacy: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND

Cardiac arrest in the hospital (IHCA) is a dramatic phenomenon that requires efficient and urgent response in which nurses are often the first responders.

AIM: The aim of the study was to establish the relationship between nurses' knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy with respect to adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in acute care at King Fahad Hospital, Saudi Arabia.

STUDY

DESIGN

A cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational research design was used. Registered nurses were surveyed using a structured questionnaire assessing CPR-related knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy.

RESULTS

Total 362 nurses have completed the questionnaire. Nurses demonstrated generally adequate CPR-related knowledge, positive attitudes and good self-efficacy towards CPR. Significant positive correlations were observed between knowledge and attitudes (ρ = 0.696, p < 0.0001), knowledge and self-efficacy (ρ = 0.772, p < 0.0001) and attitudes and self-efficacy (ρ = 0.812, p < 0.0001). Lower knowledge scores were observed in defibrillation-related procedures and medication administration during CPR.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings indicate differences across cognitive (knowledge), affective (attitudes) and self-efficacy domains in nurses' preparedness, which may inform targeted educational strategies to strengthen CPR preparedness among nurses.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The study supports the need for targeted interventions such as simulation-based training, repeated CPR education and structured debriefing sessions. Institutional policies should emphasise training frequency, policy communication and role clarity to align with international resuscitation standards and improve IHCA outcomes.