Assessment of basic airway management among paramedic students at the University of Benin teaching hospital: A cross-sectional study.
African Journal of Emergency Medicine · 2026-03-03 · Observational study
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Basic airway management (BAM) is the cornerstone of pre-hospital care and an expected competence of all paramedics. In Nigeria, paramedic training is relatively young and lacks regulatory oversight to ensure the competence of the workforce. This study assessed the knowledge, self-reported practice, self-reported confidence, and barriers to practice of BAM among paramedic students at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among paramedic students (2nd to 5th year) at UBTH from September 1 to 14, 2025. Census sampling was used, and a validated questionnaire assessed knowledge (16 items), self-reported practice, self-reported confidence (7-item Likert scale), and barriers to basic airway management. Knowledge scores were categorised as good (>70%), moderate (50-69%), or poor (<50%). Chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression identified factors associated with knowledge and confidence. RESULTS: Of 125 respondents, 87.2% demonstrated good knowledge of basic airway management (mean score 12.76±1.16). Only 11.2% had never performed BAM in any setting. Most participants reported high (50.4%) or moderate (42.4%) confidence. Good knowledge was significantly associated with emergency department exposure in the last 3 months (OR=6.32, p=0.014), recent BLS/ALS certification (OR=9.41, p=0.026), and combined self-reported practice on simulation and real patients (OR=13.00, p=0.001). CONCLUSION: Paramedic students at UBTH demonstrated good knowledge and confidence in BAM. Self-reported practice of BAM on both simulation and real patients was associated with knowledge, while real patient experience was strongly associated with confidence. To improve paramedic training, curricula should prioritise integrated learning approaches that provide both simulation facilities for skill development and adequate supervised clinical exposure.
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