Deliberate Practice of Basic Life Support Skills: Improving Self-Efficacy in First-Year Nursing Students

Abstract

Background: First-year nursing students often struggle to retain Basic Life Support (BLS) skills, which may compromise clinical performance during emergencies. Deliberate practice (DP) is a proven instructional approach that enhances skill mastery and self-efficacy. This study evaluated whether DP of BLS skills improves general self-efficacy among prelicensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students.

Methods: This quasi-experimental study used a one-group pretest–posttest design. Forty first-year BSN students participated in four weekly 15-minute deliberate BLS practice sessions in the skills laboratory. General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) scores were measured before and after the intervention. A paired samples t-test assessed the difference in pre- and post-intervention scores.

Results: There was a statistically significant improvement in GSES scores following the intervention. The mean GSES score increased from 24.7 (SD = 3.63) to 37.2 (SD = 2.58), t(39) = 19.8, p < .001, indicating that deliberate BLS practice positively influenced student self-efficacy.

Conclusions: Deliberate practice of BLS skills in a nursing skills lab significantly enhanced students’ self-efficacy. This strategy may bridge the gap between certification and real-world clinical readiness.