Knowledge of nursing students about cardiorespiratory arrest

This study aimed to investigate the knowledge of nursing students about cardiorespiratory arrest. It consisted in a qualitative research with 29 nursing students of the Federal University of Campina Grande, campus Cajazeiras, Paraiba, Brazil. A semi-structured interview was used for data collection, which took place in December 2014 after approval by the Ethics and Research Committee of the institution of education. The technique of Collective Subject Discourse was used for data analysis. Unpreparedness and insecurity of academics with respect to cardiorespiratory arrest were evident. The lack of practice makes them afraid and they point to the educational institution as responsible for not providing environments to better prepare them for stressful situations. Therefore, there is a need for strengthening the academic training of future nurses by increasing the opportunities for practice so that students get familiar with the reality they will face and, this way, this gap in the nursing training may be reduced.