First aid knowledge among nursing students: A cross-sectional study

Aim of the study: This study aimed to measure the level of knowledge of nursing students about first aid and compare the differences between second-and-third years students. Assessing this knowledge is crucial for understanding the effectiveness of their education, and identifying areas for improvement need.

Methodology: A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted at the Faculty of Technical Medical Sciences, University of Elbasan, Albania. A structured questionnaire, adapted cross-culturally, was used to assess students' knowledge related first-aid. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 27.0. 

Results: The findings indicate that 93.5% of students had previously heard about first aid. We noticed a statistically significant difference (p = 0.002) in self-reported knowledge between second-year (99%) and third-year students (88%). Fracture-related first aid was the topic with the highest correct answers rate, while the management of bites had the lowest correct responses rate. A significant correlation (p = 0.015) was found between prior knowledge and overall first-aid student competence. The majority of the students showed moderate first-aid knowledge. The exposure to first-aid information was the key factor of their knowledge. 

Conclusions: These results highlight the need for universities to integrate more comprehensive training programs. To explore first aid knowledge and attitudes among diverse educational and community settings, further study is required.