Training for Team Dynamics in Resuscitation

Each year, there are more than 350,000 incidents of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, making sudden cardiac arrest the third leading cause of death in the United States.¹

Despite these numbers, only 40 communities across the nation have begun to rigorously measure and report on their survival rates.² One of these communities making an immense difference is King County in Washington.

The cardiac survival rate in King County has dramatically increased in recent years, from 27% in 2002 to 62% in 2013.³ When compared with the national survival rate (from hospital to discharge) of 12%, their dedication speaks for itself.⁴

By including dispatchers, first responders, fire departments, law enforcement, paramedics, urgent care centers, and laypeople in the regional trainings, King County has solidified everyone’s role in the CPR Chain of Survival. With integrated trainings, including the hands-on training for quality CPR, the need for teamwork and communication become even more apparent.

Deliberately practicing these skills for CPR can improve trainings for other clinical skills, as effective teamwork will always be critical to patient outcomes. If you can train for CPR, you can train for anything.