Common Challenges Nurses’ Face While Performing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, A Descriptive Literature Review

Abstract

Cardiac arrest is one of the most urgent clinical emergencies and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is the main intervention to sustain life. Despite continuous updates in guidelines the success of CPR remains inconsistent with outcomes that are often influenced by both individual and systemic factors. This thesis aimed to describe the most common challenges nurses encounter during CPR to identify the factors behind inconsistency, teamwork and institutional support. A descriptive literature review was conducted from nine peer reviewed primary studies published between 2015 and 2025. Data were retrieved from PubMed and CINAHL and inductive content analysis was applied to identify recurring themes. The review revealed five main categories of challenges that were deficits in training and pedagogy, psychological and emotional barriers, technical and knowledge gaps, weaknesses in leadership and teamwork and systemic or environmental difficulties. Together these factors were shown to reduce confidence, hinder performance and limit the effectiveness of CPR. The findings underline the need for regular simulation training, updated teaching methods, leadership practice and emotional preparedness as well as improved resource allocation in clinical settings. Addressing these issues can strengthen nurses’ readiness and contribute to higher quality resuscitation and better patient outcomes.