Effectiveness of a video‑based refresher on cardiopulmonary resuscitation skill retention in college students: A single‑blind randomized controlled trial
Kyeongmin Jang1
, Sung Hwan Kim2
1Department of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, Daejin University, Pocheon‑si, Gyeonggi‑do, South Korea
2Department of Nursing, Catholic Sangji University, Andong‑si, South Korea
Keywords: Basic life support, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, college students, skill retention, video refresher
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills decline within months after training, particularly among lay college students. We evaluated whether a brief video based refresher improves 6 month CPR skill retention.
METHODS: We conducted a single blind randomized controlled trial among 2nd year college students in Seoul, South Korea, who had completed Basic Life Support (BLS). Participants were randomized to an experimental group (n = 33) that received a 2 min video refresher at 3 months or to a control group (n = 30) with no refresher. CPR competencies – cardiac arrest recognition, emergency medical system (EMS) activation, chest compressions, and automated external defibrillator (AED) use – were assessed immediately after training and at 6 months using a standardized checklist.
RESULTS: At 6 months, the experimental group showed significantly better retention for cardiac arrest recognition (P = 0.003), EMS activation (P = 0.003), and chest compression performance (P = 0.020) than the control group. AED use did not differ significantly between groups (P = 0.235).
CONCLUSION: A brief video refresher delivered 3 months after BLS significantly enhances 6 month retention of key CPR skills in college students. This low cost, scalable strategy may help maintain CPR competence where repeated hands on training is hard to provide.
How to cite this article: Jang K, Kim SH. Effectiveness of a video‑based refresher on cardiopulmonary resuscitation skill retention in college students: A single‑blind randomized controlled trial. Turk J Emerg Med 2026;26:116-23.
Approved by Seoul Metropolitan Government–Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center Institutional Review Board (IRB No. 30‑2023‑85; approval date: June 22, 2023). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.
• Kyeongmin Jang: Conceptualization; Methodology; Investigation; Data curation; Formal analysis; Writing – original draft; Writing – review and editing; Supervision
• Sung Hwan Kim: Investigation; Data curation; Writing – review and editing; Visualization.
All authors met ICMJE authorship criteria and approved the final manuscript.
None Declared.
None.
Video legend
Video 1: Refresher video.