How stressful is the Newborn Life Support airway test? An observational study.

Objectives: To determine whether there is a significant stress response to the Newborn Life Support airway test (NLSAT) among healthcare professionals in the UK.

Design: Quantitative study measuring both stress and anxiety of candidates on Newborn Life Support (NLS) courses measuring salivary cortisol levels along with validated anxiety questionnaires (State Trait Anxiety Inventory).

Setting: UK NLS course centres.

Participants: 80 healthcare professionals (nurses, doctors and midwives) on NLS courses.

Interventions: Stress levels measured (cortisol swabs and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)) at baseline, immediately before and 20 min after starting the NLSAT.

Results: Cortisol measurements failed to detect any significant rise in stress levels as a result of the NLSAT. Significant anxiety was induced by the NLSAT based on STAI scores. STAI scores rose significantly in all professionals from baseline to post-NLSAT, with the greatest change detected for midwives (+11.82 (SD 7.64, p<0.001)) compared with nurses (+8.86 (SD 12.1, p<0.001)) and doctors (+7.96 (SD 2.9.69, p<0.001)). Experience had no impact on stress levels.

Conclusions: Anxiety levels induced by the NLSAT are significant and should be considered when instructing and developing the NLS course.