Baseline characteristics of respondents (n = 286)
| Characteristics | Experimental departments | Control departments | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trained staff(n = 93) | Untrained staff(n = 97) | Untrained staff(n = 96) | ||
| *Mean (95% confidence interval). | ||||
| Sex (% female) | 74.2 | 80.4 | 80.2 | NS |
| Profession (%) | ||||
| Physician | 18.3 | 17.5 | 16.7 | NS |
| Nurse | 65.6 | 67.0 | 67.7 | |
| Other | 16.1 | 15.5 | 15.6 | |
| Department activity (%) | ||||
| Medicine | 34.4 | 34.0 | 36.5 | NS |
| Surgery | 28.0 | 30.9 | 30.2 | |
| Intensive care | 37.6 | 35.1 | 33.3 | |
| Seniority in hospital (years)* | 17.8 (16 to 20) | 15.6 (14 to 17) | 15.7 (14 to 18) | NS |