Healthcare personnel self-assessed competence and knowledge following implementation of a new guideline on maternal resuscitation in Norway. A repeated measure study.

Introduction: Cardiac arrest in pregnancy is a rare, yet extremely challenging condition to manage for all healthcare personnel involved. Knowledge deficits and poor resuscitation skills can affect outcomes in cardiac arrest in pregnancy, but research exploring healthcare personnel competence and knowledge about maternal resuscitation is limited.

Aims: The aim of this study was to explore (1) healthcare personnel self-assessed competence and knowledge about cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in pregnancy as well as perimortem caesarean section, before and after implementation of a new guideline, (2) whether there were any interprofessional differences in knowledge about maternal resuscitation, and (3) potential differences between different implementation strategies.

Research Methodology: The study had a prospective repeated measure implementation design, utilizing a questionnaire before and after implementation of a new guideline on maternal resuscitation after cardiac arrest.

Setting: All healthcare personnel potentially involved in CPR in six hospital wards, were invited to participate ( = 527). The guideline was implemented through either simulation, table-top discussions and/or an electronical learning course.

Results: In total, 251 (48%) participants responded to the pre-questionnaire, and 182 (35%) to the postquestionnaire. The need for education and training/simulation concerning maternal resuscitation were significantly lowered after implementation of the guideline, yet still the majority of respondents reported a high to medium need for education and training/simulation. Participants' self-assessed overall competence in maternal resuscitation increased significantly postimplementation. Regardless of professional background, knowledge about CPR and perimortem caesarean section increased significantly in most items in the questionnaire after implementation. Differences in level of knowledge based on implementation strategy was identified, but varied between items, and was therefore inconclusive.

Conclusion: This study adds knowledge about healthcare personnel self-assessed competence and knowledge about maternal resuscitation and perimortem caesarean section in pregnancy. Our findings indicate that there is still a need for more education and training in this rare incident.