Chamberlain Joins Duke University–Led Research Study to Improve CPR Education

Chamberlain College of Nursing will participate in a Duke University–led research study designed to improve cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) education and retention.

The study, “Adaptive Basic Life Support (BLS) Training: Optimizing Individual BLS Maintenance of Competence Training,” aims to shift the one-size-fits-all approach to CPR training to competency-based, individualized education and practice.

In a hospital setting, nurses are often the first responders to events that require CPR. Their ability to perform the lifesaving technique effectively is vital to increasing the patient’s chance of survival, yet nurses in many clinical settings only practice these skills at the time of BLS course completion — typically every one to two years. Studies have documented that this limited practice is not enough to maintain CPR competence.

“This is an incredible opportunity for Chamberlain students to benefit from hands-on learning while advancing nursing practice,” said Mary Judith Yoho, senior director, pre-licensure BSN degree program at Chamberlain. “The study will give them valuable experience and ensure future nurses can provide extraordinary care to each patient they serve.”

Chamberlain is one of nine U.S. nursing schools participating in the study, which involves 800 students nationwide. The study sites for participating Chamberlain students are the College’s Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and St. Louis campuses.

Study participants from Chamberlain are being trained in a variety of formats and evaluated on their retention of CPR skills, with real-time audio and visual feedback provided by practice mannequins in the SIMCARE CENTERs™, which are high-tech nursing skills laboratories that provide immersive, hands-on learning in a simulated environment designed to replicate clinical settings.

“Chamberlain’s ongoing commitment to producing extraordinary nurses includes developing and maintaining the skillset needed to deliver extraordinary care to patients,” said Vickie Mudra, national director of clinical learning resources for Chamberlain. “Our participation in this study is just one example of our dedication to improving education methods for all nurses.”

Study activity began this fall and will continue through 2017. The study is conducted by Dr. Marilyn Oermann, director of evaluation and educational research at Duke University School of Nursing, and is coordinated by Dr. Suzan Kardong-Edgren, professor and director of the RISE Center at Robert Morris University. It is being conducted in collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s 711^th Human Performance Wing and is sponsored by the National League for Nursing and Laerdal Medical.

By Molly Mattison