The Effect of Simulation on Newly Licensed Nurses’ Confidence in Initiating Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Hospitalized patients experiencing cardiac arrest are more likely to receive resuscitative interventions such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), advanced cardiac life support, and defibrillation, than patients who experience a cardiac arrest outside the hospital setting. Annually, there are nearly 290,000 inpatient cardiac arrests each year in the United States. These cardiac arrests are associated with a mean survival rate of only 25%. Increasing nurses’ feelings of confidence in initiating CPR may lead to faster reaction times, shorter hospital stays, and improved patient outcomes. A narrative review of literature about the effectiveness of simulations on newly licensed nurses’ perceived confidence in initiating CPR confidence levels yielded 16 articles.