Resuscitation Training

Every practice needs to ensure their doctors, nurses and administrators are regularly trained in resuscitation techniques in order to meet CQC, CCG and other professional body requirements. There are all sorts of providers of this sort of training across the UK, and training is delivered by anyone from dedicated First Aid trainers to practicing nurses, retired nurses and paramedics.

It’s becoming apparent, however, that some resuscitation trainers do not possess all the necessary skills for teaching those working in the practice environment. First Aid trainers, for example, often lack the practical application of resuscitation skills and will not have had any proper experience in undertaking CPR on patients, nor will they necessarily be equipped to answer the sorts questions posed by GPs. Paramedics will have a lot of experience of undertaking CPR but may lack the necessary teaching skills to ensure that understanding is ratified and assessment is reliable.

Finding the right trainer for you and your staff could literally be a life or death decision, so it’s got to be the right one.  Ideally, a resuscitation trainer should fit the following criteria:

• Appropriate qualifications to the training required
• Up to date and technical knowledge on protocols
• A formal teaching qualification, plus experience
• Interest in the subject matter and CPD
• Practical experience of CPR in real life situations
• Medical knowledge sufficient to answer questions posed by GPs

The responsibility for arranging this kind of training will usually fall to the Practice Manager. Some practices and CCG areas still offer awareness training with “Certificates of Attendance”, whilst others have adopted a more formal root of “Certificates of Assessed Competence”, where each individual has to attend the whole session, sit an individual written paper and an individual practical assessment. Practice Managers should be aware of what their local CCG requires, or what is required to meet CQC or other regulatory requirements, then find trainers most suited to their staff needs and experience.

Good quality training – and ensuring trainers and training companies are of appropriate standards and keep appropriate records – is becoming more important as Regulators and Commissioners probe ever deeper into training and standards.

Our Top 5 Features of Quality Resuscitation Training:

1. Ask for trainer’s first aid and medical qualifications, teaching qualifications and practical experience, and check that it’s current. Look for registered training centres offering formal qualifications – they’re likely to have the necessary policies, procedures and quality standards in place
2. Ask for formal written confirmation that teaching meets the UK and European Resuscitation Council 2010 protocols. Sit in on the training and check that the instructor is teaching it correctly
3. See that your trainer teaches a combination of rescue breathes and chest compressions, and mention Agonal Gasps when undertaking the breathing check in the primary survey
4. Ensure all delegates stay for the whole training session and are individually assessed as competent during practical sessions
5. Ensure you keep good records of all resuscitation training undertaken, do a dip sample of your training provider to ensure they keep appropriate records and can verify certification should they be approached by CCG, CQC or any other organisation undertaking an audit or investigation.

Guest post by Gary Hepburn, Managing Director of Sirius Business Services Ltd