Conducting high-quality EMS CPR training doesn’t have to mean high costs. Even if your agency is working within a tight budget, it’s still possible to create effective, realistic, and scalable training experiences without making a big investment.  

In this article, we provide 6 cost-effective tips to help you ensure your learners are prepared to deliver high-quality CPR.  

1. Select equipment that can grow with you. 

Choosing a modular solution like Resusci Anne QCPR can offer high-quality CPR training with QCPR feedback from day one, while also setting the stage for longer-term growth. Resusci Anne QCPR’s modular design allows you to start with the foundational manikin and build on its capabilities over time. At a pace that your budget allows, you can gradually add accessories and upgrade kits like: 

• Bleeding control legs
• IV arms
• Tibial IO legs
• Trauma modules
• Rescue modules
• ShockLink defibrillation training system 

“I think we all have a mind block sometimes, that Resusci Anne is that torso with no arms and no legs,” says Ed Coleclough, Laerdal Educational Services Specialist and former EMS Educator. “[But] she can really be rounded out to provide any of the learning objectives that you may need.”  

This flexibility not only reduces the need for a large upfront investment, but it also ensures that the manikin can grow with your program – supporting a wide range of scenarios from BLS to more advanced resuscitation training. By investing in a scalable solution, you can maximize the training value for your budget. 

2. Create a realistic environment.

When you’re striving for maximum realism in your CPR scenarios, it’s easy to assume that the fidelity of the manikin is the most important factor. But creating a realistic environment around that manikin is just as critical for effective learning.  

Immersive, sensory-rich training environments can help your learners suspend disbelief and respond more authentically during high-pressure simulation scenarios. Incorporating elements that engage all the senses – like ambient noise, realistic lighting, and even smells – can significantly boost realism.¹ 

Low-cost tactics like using spare equipment or rearranging furniture to mimic real-world settings can enhance training impact without stretching your budget^.2 

3. Choose versatile options.

Choosing equipment that can wear different hats allows you to get the most out of your investment. For example, the Monitor by Laerdal can serve as a simulated defibrillator, patient monitor, or ventilator to create more immersive and realistic acute care training experiences. Dynamic and portable, it allows learners to: 

• Measure real-time QCPR feedback
• React to changes in vital signs
• Interpret ECGs
• Perform defibrillation and pacing
• Practice basic skills needed to operate a ventilator
• Utilize pre-loaded or custom scenarios and investigations 

Monitor by Laerdal is compatible with any Laerdal Bluetooth Low Energy manikin. This means that whether you're running a BLS scenario with Resusci Anne QCPR or a complex ACLS scenario with Resusci Anne Simulator, you can use the same monitor. This provides both consistency for learners and cost savings for you. 

4. Make CPR training “stick” with gamified learning.

According to the American Heart Association, one innovative educational strategy is to incorporate gamification in CPR training to increase learner engagement and skill retention.³ Making CPR training fun and engaging is something you can do at little to no cost, and it will make your training efforts more effective. 

Research shows that creating competition between providers in CPR training helps to motivate them and encourages them to practice.⁴ You may want to consider using a tool like the QCPR Game, available in the free QCPR app. In this midway-style game, learners “race” each other to the finish line by performing high-quality CPR. Whoever provides the best quality and most consistent compressions for the duration of the "race" wins.

By adding a bit of friendly competition through free tools like the QCPR Game, you can boost motivation, reinforce high-quality CPR skills, and get more value out of your training equipment. 

5. Take advantage of free resources.

Opt for equipment that includes resources to help you maximize training impact at no additional cost.

When you use QCPR manikins along with the new Pro features in the QCPR app (available at no added cost), you can:

• See a detailed timeline view to help identify pauses easily and drive continuous improvement
• Train with the latest AHA, ERC, or SRFAC guidelines, with adjustable parameters to suit clinical studies or research needs
• Easily connect to up to any 6 QCPR-enabled manikins to train for skills and scenarios
• Get personalized improvement tips for each participant and track progress over time to build CPR confidence
• Ensure your devices are always training-ready with in-app device management
• Compare, export, and share results

6. Leverage products that can evolve with industry guidelines.

When evaluating budget-friendly CPR training solutions, it can be helpful to choose manikins and equipment that can be upgraded to be compliant with new industry guidelines and standards, such as the American Heart Association’s CPR Guidelines.  

Laerdal consistently supports its CPR training solutions with upgrade kits and software updates, ensuring that EMS teams can easily become compliant with the latest CPR guidelines without replacing their equipment.