ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, PERCEPTION AND PRACTICE OF BASIC LIFE SUPPORT SKILLS AMONG HEALTH CARE WORKERS IN STATE HOSPITAL, OWO, ONDO STATE

Basic life support (BLS) is a critical element in the chain of survival between a cardiac arrest and the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) interval, leading to increased rates of hospital discharge. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, perception, and practice of BLS skills among healthcare workers at the state hospital in Owo, Ondo State. A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional design was utilized, employing a simple random technique to select 55 respondents. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics via the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 27, with a significance level set at 0.05. The findings revealed that the majority of respondents were aged between 21 and 30 years (43.6%). Most respondents were female (76.4%). All respondents were aware that BLS stands for basic life support (100%). About 60.0% had received CPR training, and 96.4% knew to call for help if they encountered an unresponsive individual. Furthermore, 49.1% strongly agreed that BLS and CPR are crucial lifesaving skills, 25.5% agreed, 23.6% strongly disagreed, and 1.8% disagreed. A significant portion of respondents had performed CPR before; 61.8% practiced it regularly, while 36.4% did so when necessary. Identified barriers included hospital policies (83.6%), fear of causing harm (70.9%), Do-Not-Resuscitate orders (67.3%), and fear of infection (56.4%). Hypothesis testing indicated a significant relationship between knowledge and practice of BLS among healthcare workers. It is recommended that CPR training for Nigerian healthcare workers be encouraged and that essential equipment be provided to facilitate prompt intervention and prevent complications. Word count: 250 Keywords: Knowledge, Perception, Practice, Health workers, Basic Life Support, Skills