A pre-experimental study to assess the effectiveness of planned teaching programme on knowledge regarding electrocardiogram and its interpretations among nursing students in selected nursing institutions, Jalandhar, Punjab

Background: An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a visual representation that offers precise information about an individual’s heart rate, rhythm, and any associated abnormalities. It may indicate if the heart has enlarged as a result of hypertension (high blood pressure) or whether there is evidence of a past myocardial infarction (heart attack). Performing non-invasive testing is simple, and the results are immediate basic knowledge of the electrocardiogram is usually the most difficult to assimilate, as it implies learning the basis of interpretation. Methods: A pre-experimental study with a one-group pre-test and post-test design was conducted. A non-probability purposive sampling technique was used to select a sample of 100 nursing students who participated in the study. Data was collected using a self-structured knowledge questionnaire and analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The mean pre-test score was 20.73±3.14 and post-test knowledge score was 35.28±2.19 With regards to electrocardiogram and its interpretations with a difference of 14.55. According to the result of our analysis, the computed ‘t’ value (47.39) was statistically significant (p=0.001). Conclusions: Researcher found that ‘nursing students’ post-test understanding of electrocardiogram and its interpretations improved following the introduction of planned teaching programme.