Stop the Bleed: The Impact of a Basic Bleeding Control Course on High School Personnel's Perceptions of Self-Efficacy and School Preparedness.

Background: Uncontrolled bleeding is the leading cause of preventable death from trauma. The Stop the Bleed (STB) initiative provides basic education about bleeding to potential immediate responders. The present study aimed to assess the perceptions of self-efficacy and school preparedness related to responding to a life-threatening bleeding emergency in school personnel at an urban high school. Methods: High school personnel from an urban high school (N = 156) completed a 1-hour STB course that included a didactic and hands-on component. Participants rated their agreement with statements about self-efficacy and school preparedness on a 5-point Likert-type scale, responded to items regarding how school personnel could be better prepared for life-threatening emergencies, and had the option to provide written responses pre- and post-course. Findings: Independent samples t tests revealed that perceptions of self-efficacy and school preparedness increased after the course (p < .001). Before the course, 87% of participants felt they needed training, 80% felt the school needed clearer procedures, and 74% felt the school required more equipment for a life-threatening bleeding incident compared with 63%, 69%, and 78% post-course, respectively. Thematic analysis of written responses revealed that participants desired higher frequencies of STB training, more equipment, clearer school procedures, and realistic training scenarios with students. Conclusions/Application to Practice: The STB course increased both perceptions of self-efficacy and school preparedness in a sample of high school personnel. Qualitative analyses provided insight to personnel's opinion of STB's effectiveness and what is necessary to maintain or follow through with this knowledge after completion of the course.

Stop the Bleed Training Improves Knowledge, Skills, and Confidence Among School Nurses.

BACKGROUND: School nurses play an integral part in prehospital care for life-threatening bleeding in educational environments. This study evaluated the efficacy of Stop the Bleed training for improving school nurses' knowledge, hands-on skill, self-confidence, and belief in school preparedness for responding to a life-threatening bleeding emergency. METHOD: Sixteen northeastern U.S. public school nurses completed a 1-hour seminar on appropriate life-threatening bleeding intervention with written and hands-on pre- and postassessments. Written assessments measured bleeding control knowledge, self-confidence, and perceptions of school preparedness. Hands-on assessments measured tourniquet application and wound-packing skills. RESULTS: After training, participants scored significantly higher on the written assessment measuring basic bleeding control knowledge. The written postassessment showed significantly higher levels of self-confidence and belief in school preparedness (p ≤ .05, n = 16). Hands-on skill for tourniquet application and wound packing also significantly increased following training (p ≤ .05, n = 16). CONCLUSION: The Stop the Bleed training was effective in improving school nurses' basic knowledge about life-threatening bleeding control and improved tourniquet application and wound-packing skills. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2019;50(11):501-507.].