ABSTRACT
Basic life support (BLS) is an essential skill for saving lives. University students should be taught the knowledge essential to mastering this skill. Therefore, the attitude toward BLS would persist following BLS training. This study aims to describe the knowledge and attitudes of Indonesian professional healthcare students toward BLS courses. The participants in this cross-sectional study were health science, medical, and dental students from 22 universities in Indonesia. This study employed a 33-item validated questionnaire (20 knowledge and 13 attitude). The data were analyzed using logistic regression. A total of 1000 subjects were recruited. Females (p = 0.04; 0.55 – 1.98) linked with BLS training history (p = 0.05; 0.36 – 1.01) were found to pose an impact on BLS attitudes. Several factors such as medical faculty (p < 0.05), the BLS training method with a combination of theory and practice (p < 0.05), and the history of a family member receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) (p < 0.01) were independently influenced both BLS knowledge and attitudes. Numerous factors have been identified as having an impact on students’ BLS knowledge and attitudes. BLS teaching courses should be integrated into all health science curricula using a combination of theory, demonstration, and mannequin practice. The courses should be regularly updated in order to improve student proficiency.
