Advanced cardiac life support instruction: Do we know tomorrow what we know today?

This study compared two instructional and evaluation methods for teaching advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) to health care professionals who were taking the ACLS course for the first time. Outcomes of the instruction were measured on completion of the course and at 3 months and 6 months postinstruction to identify differences in participants' knowledge retention, skills competency, and self-efficacy in performing ACLS. In addition, satisfaction with the teaching method was evaluated. The two methods of teaching and evaluating competencies for ACLS were (1) traditional classroom instruction plus practice and evaluation with monitors (low-fidelity simulation); and (2) classroom instruction plus practice with high-fidelity patient simulators. Participants in the study were 148 health care professionals or health care students who were novices in ACLS preparation. Participants were recruited from a large Midwest school of nursing and school of medicine, a Midwest physicians' assistant program, and a not-for-profit hospital. The findings showed no significant differences in ACLS knowledge, skills, self- efficacy, or learner satisfaction immediately after instruction or at 3 to 9 months posttraining. Retention of ACLS knowledge and skills competency over time was low in both groups; recommendations and interventions are discussed based on the study results.