Bridging The Policy-To-Practice Gap: A Narrative Review of School-Based First Aid Training Frameworks For Teachers in Abu Dhabi

Vollständiger Abstract

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Background: Schools are often the first setting where children experience sudden medical emergencies and physical injuries. In Abu Dhabi, school health and safety regulations require safe learning environments and ensure staff are prepared through emergency response training. Despite the rapid institutionalisation of safety mandates by regulatory bodies, a profound disconnect persists between top-down expectations and actual classroom preparedness for emergency response. This review examined teachers' readiness to respond to school-based emergencies, explored limitations in existing first aid training programmes within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, and developed a contextually relevant framework for Abu Dhabi schools. Methods: A narrative review was conducted following Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles (SANRA) guidelines. A structured narrative review and evidence synthesis were conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, and Google Scholar for literature published between January 2010 and March 2026. Relevant studies, policy documents, and organisational reports were reviewed and analysed thematically. Findings were interpreted using Socio-Technical Systems (STS) Theory together with the Policy-Evidence-Context (PEC) framework. Results: Thirty-five publications met the inclusion criteria. Three main themes emerged from the analysis, namely (1) technical subsystem deficits; (2) social subsystem barriers; and (3) operational and contextual integration failures between educational and health governance bodies. Conclusion: The review highlights the need for a school-based first aid framework that reflects local policies, available evidence, and the realities of Abu Dhabi schools. The proposed framework offers a practical model for strengthening teacher preparedness and supporting a more coordinated approach to student safety.