# The Attitudes of Healthcare Workers Towards Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training in Qassim, Saudi Arabia

## TL;DR

This study explores healthcare workers' attitudes toward CPR training in Saudi Arabia, finding strong commitment despite some fears.

## Contribution

The study provides region-specific insights into healthcare workers' attitudes and recommendations for CPR training in Qassim, Saudi Arabia.

## Key findings

- Most healthcare workers had prior CPR training but expressed fears about unsuccessful outcomes and causing rib fractures.
- Participants showed strong willingness to perform CPR on family, colleagues, and the public despite apprehensions.
- Healthcare workers recommended increasing public awareness and making CPR courses freely accessible.

## Abstract

Background

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a critical life-saving skill for healthcare workers. Understanding their attitudes towards CPR training is essential for improving emergency response capabilities.

Objective

To assess the attitudes, perspectives, and preparedness of healthcare professionals regarding CPR training and its practical implementation in Qassim, Saudi Arabia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online structured questionnaire. The study targeted a sample size of 400 healthcare workers. The questionnaire was adopted using a forward-backward translation protocol and pretested for validity. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 27 (Released 2020; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States), employing descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney, and Kruskal-Wallis tests for statistical differences.

Results

Among 172 healthcare workers surveyed in Qassim, Saudi Arabia, 95.9% had prior CPR training. While participants generally reported confidence in basic CPR tasks, 55.2% expressed fears when performing CPR, primarily concerned by unsuccessful outcomes (39.0%) and causing rib fractures (23.3%). Despite these apprehensions, 89.0% indicated they would not delay or avoid performing CPR. Participants demonstrated a strong commitment to CPR, with high willingness to perform it on family members (81.4%), colleagues (69.8%), and the public (66.9%). They strongly endorsed increasing public awareness activities (73.8%) and making CPR courses freely accessible (69.2%). The median perceived difficulty level for learning CPR was three on a 10-point scale.

Conclusion

Healthcare workers in Qassim demonstrated a strong commitment to CPR, despite some apprehensions. Recommendations for improving CPR training and public accessibility were identified, which could inform policy development and enhance emergency care outcomes in the region.