Background

In a large tertiary health service with a low volume of In-Hospital-Cardiac Arrests, clinician exposure to perform cardiac compressions is limited. The previous conventional Basic Life Support (BLS) training model focused on annual practical assessment with limited opportunity for maintaining skill confidence in-between assessments.

Method

An organisation-wide interdisciplinary mobile training program was developed, implemented and evaluated. New BLS simulation equipment with CPR feedback technology was introduced in September 2024 and rotated throughout clinical areas weekly. Evaluation included measuring frequency of technology use and clinician feedback.

Findings

In the 5 months since introduction, there were 177 moments where the CPR feedback technology mannequins have been accessed in shared clinical areas, by the interdisciplinary teams. Evaluation identified improved clinician accessibility of training, and autonomy to determine when and how often they refreshed their practical skills within a 12-month period. This approach has resulted in improved access for all point of care clinicians, to practice CPR and to improve their confidence to deliver a high quality of cardiac compressions.

Conclusion

Feedback from point of care clinicians has been positive, indicating a preference for a model of increased access to and autonomy in BLS training using CPR feedback devices. Further evaluation of the program will explore clinician confidence to perform cardiac compressions during In-Hospital Cardiac Arrests and sustainability.