Modernizing CPR Training Through Digital Resuscitation Programs in Academic Settings
The landscape of CPR training is shifting from traditional, large-group classroom sessions to digital, adaptive learning models that prioritize competence and flexibility. This transition addresses critical challenges such as instructor shortages and the rapid decay of life-saving skills.
By utilizing programs like HeartCode Complete and the Resuscitation Quality Improvement (RQI®) program, academic health professions education programs can now offer standardized, objective training that ensures every learner achieves mastery.
We sat down with two health professions education programs to hear their stories. Watch the full webinar below or read on to explore their experiences.
The Evolution of the Journey to Quality
Historically, resuscitation education followed a rigid, “one size fits all” classroom model. Today, the “Journey to High Quality Resuscitation” has evolved into a sophisticated digital platform characterized by:
- ✓True AdaptiveTM Learning: The software adjusts in real-time to a student’s specific knowledge level, ensuring they move through mastered material quickly while spending more time on areas of need.
- ✓Objective Measurement: Real-time feedback and debriefing provide learners with immediate data on their performance.
- ✓Operational Efficiency: Training is self-paced, allowing administrators to manage large cohorts with minimal resource strain.
Customer Story
Marian University’s Shift to Efficiency
David Patterson, the Director of the Hill ROM Simulation Center at Marian University, shares how his institution transitioned from “production-heavy” blended learning to the HeartCode Complete program.
HeartCode Complete incorporates online learning and hands-on skills training, allowing learners to complete lessons on their own time. Learners earn a course completion card, valid for 2 years.
The Challenge: Shrinking Instructor Pools
Before adopting the digital program, Marian University relied on large, scheduled classes and a dwindling pool of instructors, a problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Managing one-off recertifications and coordinating check-offs for hundreds of students had become increasingly difficult.
The Results: Scalability and Time Savings
Since implementing HeartCode Complete two years ago, the College of Osteopathic Medicine has seen significant improvements in administrative efficiency:
- ✓Rapid Setup: Patterson noted that it now takes less than five minutes to create a course for an entire class of 160 students.
- ✓Flexible Scheduling: Students use tools like Sign-Up Genius to book 30-minute slots at self-directed simulation stations, completing their skills check-offs without needing a live instructor present.
- ✓Outstanding Support: Patterson emphasized that the transition was seamless due to dedicated support from the “super user” training and technical teams. “The support has been outstanding,” he shared.
“It’s been a great experience,” he says. “It saved me time. It has saved me a lot of work.”
Customer Story
Emory & Henry University’s Focus on Confidence
Shelby Neikirk, the clinical placement coordinator for the HEALS (Health Care Excellence Academy Lab School) at Emory & Henry University, highlighted the impact of the RQI program on high school and community college students.
The Challenge: Addressing Skill Decay
The HEALS program found that despite traditional training, many students lacked the confidence to perform CPR in real-world settings. Traditional two-year certification cycles often lead to significant skill decay within three to six months.
The Results: Competency-Based Excellence
By moving to RQI’s “low-dose, high-frequency” model—where students perform quarterly competency verifications—the university has fostered a culture of excellence:
- ✓Real-Time Feedback: The system provides immediate corrections on compression depth, speed, and chest recoil, which Niekerk describes as the “hardest yet greatest” training available. “We have seen a really big growth in our skills that we are doing here on campus with our students, “she says. “They are able to continuously update their skills and they can see in real time how they need to correct. We’ve seen that be a huge benefit.”
- ✓Student Engagement: The digital, “gamified” nature of the platform has led students to voluntarily practice more than required, often competing to see who can achieve the highest performance score.
- ✓Community Impact: The university has expanded its 400-seat subscription to include partners in dental assisting and nursing programs at local community colleges.
“It's really, really beneficial,” she shares. “We love it. We hope that other programs latch on to this and take RQI and start utilizing it as well.”
A Lifesaving Outcome: The Briana Connors Story
The ultimate goal of these programs is illustrated by Briana Connors, a nursing student at Anderson University. After completing her RQI training, Connors was at an airport when a bystander suffered a cardiac arrest.
Despite being “really scared,” Connors credited her RQI training for giving her the confidence and muscle memory to perform CPR and use an AED until the patient was revived.
“Because of RQI, I did have the confidence to go and help someone who was in need,” Connors shares. “It has helped me prepare for the real world as a nurse.”
