In-hospital cardiac arrest remains associated with high mortality, and effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is critical for patient survival. Conventional instructor-led (IL) CPR courses demand considerable resources, whereas automated, feedback-driven skill stations (SS) may offer a practical alternative for frequent skills maintenance. This study investigated whether CPR performance differs between IL and SS training approaches. One hundred twenty-nine hospital nurses were randomized into three retraining strategies: skill station with 2-month refresher (SS-R), skill station without refresher (SS), and instructor-led training (IL). Assessments were conducted at baseline, 2 months, and 8 months. For initial comparisons, the two SS groups were pooled (c-SS) when compared to IL. Despite differences in baseline characteristics across groups, pooled SS and IL participants demonstrated similar CPR performance at baseline and at 2 months. At 8 months, the SS group achieved a higher proportion of correct ventilations (71%) than the IL group (54%; p = 0.04), while overall CPR quality remained comparable. Longitudinally, SS-R participants increased compression depth by 3.4 mm from baseline (p = 0.02) and by 2.8 mm relative to the 2-month assessment (p = 0.02). Retraining at 2 months did not result in significant differences between SS-R and SS at the final evaluation. Automated skill stations with real-time feedback support CPR performance equivalent to instructor-led courses over 8 months. These stations may provide a scalable solution for ongoing CPR skill retention in hospital settings.
