Does an Immediate Life Support (ILS) course enhance clinical practice? The students' perceptions

SummaryThis descriptive study evaluates whether the Immediate Life Support (ILS) course enhanced final year adult branch nursing students' ability to assess and initially manage the care of deteriorating patients. A thirty point likert scale questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from final year adult branch nursing students in one Higher Education Institution in the United Kingdom. A comment box permitted the compilation of qualitative remarks. An 84% (n = 149) response rate was achieved.The responses demonstrated a positive endorsement of the ILS course as part of the final year adult branch programme. Data also suggested that knowledge and skills learned during the ILS course were extremely useful for students and enhanced their clinical practice.Findings indicate that providing students with the opportunity to participate in the ILS course enhanced their ability to practice in a more confident manner. Furthermore, findings suggest that undertaking the ILS course provides the student with the skills to recognise the deteriorating patient and may have the potential of improving patient care. New knowledge from this research suggests that the ILS course does prepare students for practice and may go some way to assist students make the transition from student to registered nurse.