Evaluation of a new out-of-hospital newborn life support (OH-NLS) course in the UK South West region: a mixed-methods survey study
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Introduction: Unplanned out-of-hospital births (UOHBs) are associated with poorer outcomes for babies, especially those born prematurely. The current Newborn Life Support (NLS) course offered by Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK) is not designed to address the challenges associated with birth out of hospital. A new course was developed to address these challenges. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of this course on attendees' knowledge and confidence in supporting transition, resuscitation, stabilisation and onward transfer of newborns in an out-of-hospital setting. Methods: A convergent mixed-methods approach was used consisting of pre-, post- and follow-up surveys and a post-course multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ). The surveys asked participants to rate their confidence, on a five-point Likert scale (from 'Underconfident/fearful' to 'Very confident') across seven domains of NLS, as well as making an individual assessment of provider confidence before and after the course. Free-text comments were collected and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Attendees comprised multidisciplinary staff from the South West of England. The pre-course survey was completed by 32 of the 33 participants, the post-course survey by 31 and the MCQ by all 33. A total of 18 participants completed the follow-up survey. Analysis showed a significant, positive change in confidence across NLS domains between the pre- and post-course surveys (p <0.0001).The follow-up survey data showed self-reported increases in knowledge and largely sustained confidence. The qualitative analysis revealed themes relating to the participants' feelings about managing babies born out of hospital. Conclusion: The proof-of-concept OH-NLS course appears to address the learning needs of the target professional group, and the results suggest improved knowledge and confidence in the immediate management of babies born out of hospital. Further evaluation is required to determine whether such training has a long-term impact and translates into improved outcomes across a larger group of participants.
Source: British Paramedic Journal
Authors: Michael Bradfield, Laura Goodwin, Sarah Bates, Robert Tinnion, Sally Hedge, Dawn Kerslake, John Madar, Lucy Murcott, Wendy Tyler, James Yates, Anna Powell, Louise Hall
Institutions: Resuscitation Council, Bournemouth University, University of the West of England, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, South West Academic Health Science Network, South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust
Language: English
Subfield: Emergency Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4404780207