Level and Determinants of Advanced Life Support Knowledge Among Nurses

NCT07207616 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: UCHCEU-UJI25
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 38
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study evaluated the knowledge of advanced life support (ALS) among general nurses in Spain and examined the effectiveness of an educational intervention to address identified knowledge gaps. Initially, a cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2020 and February 2021, involving 888 general nurses from all 52 Spanish provinces. Data were collected through a structured self-administered questionnaire assessing demographics, education, professional background, and theoretical ALS knowledge. The results showed that 72.3% of nurses did not achieve the minimum passing score of 70%, revealing significant knowledge deficits, particularly in fluid therapy, defibrillation protocols, ALS algorithms, and use of the LUCAS® CPR device. Higher knowledge levels were associated with female gender, possession of a Master's degree or higher, working in high-risk areas for cardiac arrest, and recent ALS training. To address these gaps, a second, quasi-experimental study was carried out between February and October 2023 in the Valencian Community. This non-randomized intervention followed the TREND guidelines and targeted nurses registered in one of the three official nursing colleges of the region. The educational intervention included an asynchronous online phase hosted on a Google Sites platform, where participants accessed interactive learning materials and completed a pre-test. This was followed by a four-hour in-person session that included a brief theoretical review and hands-on workshops practicing various ALS techniques. A post-intervention test was administered immediately afterward. The intervention led to a noticeable improvement in ALS knowledge, demonstrating its effectiveness. Overall, the study highlights insufficient ALS knowledge among Spanish nurses and the need for continuous, structured education. The successful outcome of the intervention reinforces the importance of ongoing training programs to enhance the preparedness of nurses in responding to cardiac arrest and other high-risk clinical scenarios.

Conditions

Assess the Knowledge of ALS

Keywords

Advanced life support; Continuing education in nursing; Knowledge; Resuscitation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• To determine the level of knowledge of nurses in Spain regarding Advanced Life Support (ALS) and identify the factors that influence it.

  the study aims to assess the knowledge of ALS among general nurses in Spain and to identify the socio-educational and occupational factors influencing knowledge.

  6 hours

• To assess the effectiveness of an educational intervention aimed at addressing the identified knowledge gaps in ALS.

  the study aims to assess the effectiveness of an educational based in the identified gaps in ALS among general nurses in Spain.

  4 hours

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• To evaluate knowledge of ALS concepts and techniques.

  30 minutes

• To identify knowledge gaps in ALS.

  30 minutes

• To determine the sociodemographic, occupational, and educational background characteristics that influence the level of knowledge about ALS.

  30 minutes

• To establish the effectiveness of using in-person clinical simulation as a complementary training strategy to online ALS education.

  4 hours

Study Arms (2)

ON LINE

EXPERIMENTAL

Using the Google Sites domain (https://sites.google.com/view/intervencion-sva/inicio), this phase was asynchronous, where participants accessed interactive educational materials and a pre-test on ALS. The online phase was designed to explain theoretical content, and a dedicated webpage was created for this purpose. Each enrolled participant was provided with a link to the site via email. Upon accessing the page, participants were guided on the steps they needed to follow to complete this phase properly.

Other: educational intervention for nursing

IN PERSON

EXPERIMENTAL

A 15-minute brief review of the theoretical content from the online phase was given at the start of this session. The session was then divided into different workshops where participants practiced various ALS techniques. At the end of the in-person session, participants completed a post-test questionnaire in the classroom. The duration of this phase was four hours.

Other: educational intervention for nursing

Interventions

educational intervention for nursing OTHER

A quasi-experimental study was carried out between February and October 2023 in the Valencian Community. This non-randomized intervention followed the TREND guidelines and targeted nurses registered in one of the three official nursing colleges of the region. The educational intervention included an asynchronous online phase hosted on a Google Sites platform, where participants accessed interactive learning materials and completed a pre-test. This was followed by a four-hour in-person session that included a brief theoretical review and hands-on workshops practicing various ALS techniques. A post-intervention test was administered immediately afterward. The intervention led to a noticeable improvement in ALS knowledge, demonstrating its effectiveness.

Also known as: Formative intervention

IN PERSON; ON LINE

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 22 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• active nursing professionals in the healthcare sector in the Valencian Community, including those working in care, management, teaching, and research roles.
• provide written informed consent before participating in the study.

You may not qualify if:

• Nurses who were not registered with an Official Nursing College in the Valencian Community

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Universitat Jaume I: lead
• Colegio oficial de Enfermeros y Enfermeras de Castellón: collaborator
• Cardenal Herrera University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Isabel Almodóvar Fernández

Castellon, Castellón, 12003, Spain

Location

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Nursing

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Professional Practice; Organization and Administration; Health Services Administration

Study Officials

• Paula Sanchez-Thevente, phD

  Cardenal Herrera University

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 14, 2025
• First Posted: October 6, 2025
• Study Start: November 1, 2020
• Primary Completion: February 28, 2021
• Study Completion: October 31, 2023
• Last Updated: October 6, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: CSR
• Time Frame: November 2020 - October 2023

Locations

ES (1)