KNOWLEDGE OF FIRST AID SKILLS AMONG STUDENTS OF A NURSING COLLEGE IN GURUGRAM

The adequate knowledge required for handling an emergency without hospital setting at the site of the accident or emergency may not be sufficient as most the colleges do not have formal first aid training in the teaching curriculum. The aim of this study is to assess the level of knowledge of medical students in providing first aid care. This study was conducted among 100 nursing students. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Based on the scores obtained in each condition requiring first aid, the overall knowledge was graded as Excellent, good, fair and poor. Excellent knowledge about first aid was observed only in 12%, good knowledge in 29%, fair knowledge in 27% and poor knowledge in 32% of students. All students felt that first aid skills need to be taught from the school level onwards and all of them were willing to enroll in any formal first aid training sessions. The level of knowledge about first aid was not good among majority of the students. The study also identified the key areas in which first aid knowledge was lacking. Thus there is a need for formal first aid training.