Level of knowledge about prehospital management of a patient with chest pain among nursing and midwifery students

Abstract

Aim: To assess the level of knowledge about chest pain and the management procedure in patients with chest pain among nursing and midwifery students. Material and methods: The study was conducted in 276 nursing and midwifery students at the Medical University of Lodz, Poland. Results: First-year first-cycle program students constituted the largest group among the respondents (114 people), whereas the smallest group included third-year first-cycle program students. Classes attended in the course of university studies were the most common source of knowledge about chest pain in the surveyed group (62.7%, 173 subjects), whereas 6.9% of the respondents (19 individuals) reported having no knowledge about chest pain. Depending on their age, the surveyed students most often assessed their level of knowledge about prehospital management of a patient with chest pain as satisfac¬tory - 45.3% (125 respondents), and least frequently as very good - 4% (11 respondents). As regards the characteristic symptoms of myocardial infarction pain, the students most often indicated the correct answer, i.e. retrosternal pain (81.8%, 226 respondents), while 18.2% (50) of the students did not know the right answer. Conclusions: Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death in Poland, therefore, especially students of every medical field at the beginning of the education cycle should acquire knowledge and skills in the field of pre-hospital management of a patient with chest pain.