Survey of public secondary school teachers’ attitudes towards instruction in basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation in schools

López Unanua MC, Garrote Freire A, Freire Tellado M, Pérez Romero E, Rodríguez Rodríguez A, Mosquera Castro M

Objectives: To study the beliefs and attitudes of public secondary school teachers in

Lugo, Spain, regarding the teaching of basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in

schools.

Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was sent to 2 public middle schools in Lugo.

The questionnaire contained 12 closed-answer items preceded by an explanation of

sudden death, early basic CPR, and early defibrillation.

Results: Of 120 questionnaires sent, 56 (46.6%) were completed and returned. Eleven

teachers (19.6%) had attended a basic CPR course. Twenty-three (41.1%) were unaware

of the availability of semiautomatic external defibrillators. Fifty-two (92.95%) considered

it would be good for their students to take a basic CPR course and learn to use a

semiautomatic external defibrillator. According to 76.8%, it would be good to provide

instruction in basic CPR during the course of obligatory secondary school education;

57.2% thought CPR should be taught in the third year of secondary school or higher.

Forty-eight (85.7%) expressed interest in taking a basic CPR course themselves, and 46

(82.1%) believed such a course would best be taught by health care professionals.

Twenty-two teachers (39.3%) said they would be willing to teach the subject if they

received prior training.

Conclusions: Most teachers consider it useful to include basic CPR in the secondary school

curriculum and they are interested in receiving training themselves. Although most prefer

that such a course be taught by health care professionals, half of those interested would be

willing to serve as instructors after receiving training.

Freire Tellado M, Garrote Freire A, López Unanua MC, Mosquera Castro M, Pérez Romero E, Rodríguez Rodríguez A