The American Red Cross announced a new Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers course with the ability to tailor material to meet specific training needs.
The BLS course allows medical directors, educators and Red Cross training partners to select certain scenarios, with an option that allows organization to offer abbreviated versions of the course.
The Red Cross BLS curriculum includes all standard scientific learning objectives necessary in professional resuscitation courses with an increased emphasis on critical thinking, teamwork and reflection/debriefing to strengthen the overall learning experience. The course is available in instructor-led and blended learning options, and the care steps are consistent with established standards.
Red Cross BLS offers the following performance objectives and design elements:
- Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: This course uses real-life scenarios that allow students to hone their critical thinking and problem solving skills, such as forming a clinical impression and treatment plan, anticipating problems, and reacting to changes in patient condition.
- Team Dynamics: The course includes team response situations where students practice operating effectively within teams and improving communication skills with team members, bystanders and other medical personnel. This section also covers areas such as integration with advanced healthcare providers, high-quality CPR and crew resource management.
- Scientific Learning Objectives: Students will learn how to recognize life-threatening emergencies; perform a scene size-up, initial impression and primary assessment; ventilations (using a pocket mask and bag valve mask); provide CPR (1-rescuer and 2-rescuer); use an AED; and relieve an obstructed airway.
- Reflection and Debriefing: Each response scenario allows individual and group reflection to discuss students’ ability to think critically and function as a team. This design element is becoming the standard in healthcare learning and development.
Red Cross BLS will be available March 3, 2015. A limited time introductory 20 percent discount offer will apply to certification through June 30, 2015. Individuals who successfully complete either the instructor-led or blended course will receive a two-year digital Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers certificate.
Course materials will be available both as free digital downloads through the Red Cross Instructor’s Corner and in print format on the Red Cross Store for a fee.
Visit the Red Cross website for more information on the BLS course.