The Impact of Electrocardiogram Interpretation Training Program on Intern Nursing Students' Competencies: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

Background and Aim: An electrocardiogram (ECG) is crucial for establishing many cardiac diagnoses; it is an efficient way of diagnosing life-threatening conditions. Given the importance of nurses’ ability to detect normal and pathological ECGs, the accurate interpretation of ECG is an essential skill for nurses to safeguard patients against these serious consequences as a result of misinterpretation of electrocardiogram. The aim of this study was to determine This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of ECG interpretation training program on intern nursing students' competencies in Egypt. Materials and Methods A quasi-experimental design with two groups, pretest–posttest design, was used to collect data using a self-administered, structured, questionnaire designed to measure nurses' knowledge and practices regarding ECG interpretation. The study was conducted from August 2023 to November 2023 using a simple random sampling technique, including 130 nursing interns. Results: A significant difference was observed between the intervention and control groups in terms of the mean knowledge and practice scores, where in the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group. The study results showed that total knowledge score of interns after exposure to educational training program (22.80 ± 3.7), which was significantly higher than before the intervention (15.23 ± 7.9). Moreover, the total mean practice scores were (15.40 ± 4.95) and (23.46 ± 5.17) at before and after the educational intervention respectively, with a statistical significance of p < 0.05. Conclusion: ECG interpretation training program was shown to be effective in improving skills, and knowledge among intern nursing students. Thus, regular, standard training and education are recommended. Also, managers and educators of the health system should consider the role of exposure to ECG interpretation in improving the competence of staff and students to interpret ECG.