Many healthcare providers are working outside their usual roles as they help treat COVID-19 patients in a challenging environment where CPR skills have become increasingly crucial. Research published in JAMA Internal Medicine has shown that in-hospital cardiac arrest is common among severely ill COVID-19 patients, particularly older individuals, who often face poor survival outcomes.
Our Training Network plays a critical role in ensuring that providers perform CPR correctly to improve patient outcomes and stay updated on resuscitation practices and protocols. Some of the important ways that training can help include:
- Ensuring that patient care teams are coordinated and competent, working effectively together, especially in new work areas;
- Recognition of pre-arrest in COVID-19 patients, signaling the urgent need for rapid response teams and COVID code blue teams; and
- Ensuring the safety of providers is a top priority, particularly when there are fewer people in a room.
Safe, Flexible CPR Training Options
The AHA provides several options to deliver high-quality CPR training during the pandemic, including CPR classes in Chandler and Mesa.
- Expansion of Virtual Training Guidance: The AHA is now providing virtual training guidance to Instructors that was previously made available to Training Center Coordinators (TCCs). The TCCs determine whether virtual administration of Instructor-led classes, exams, and skills sessions will be offered. TCCs are still required to notify AHA if they decide to allow virtual training. View our virtual training guidance here.
- HeartCode® blended learning program: Providers can take HeartCode online now and have the flexibility to schedule their hands-on skills training when it is safe and convenient. This program delivers quality resuscitation education through online learning combined with hands-on skills training. There is no time limit for completing a hands-on skills session following the online portion of the course. Read more online about our HeartCode course options, including those available for Mesa CPR classes.
We Can Help. During this crisis, our goal is to assist healthcare organizations in continuing to deliver lifesaving CPR education and training to keep staff current and competent, while also overcoming any backlog of learners.
Our We Can Help program gives organizations the opportunity to experience our digital learning platform and simulation station with no obligation. Nearly 300 hospitals and over 16,000 learners are utilizing our We Can Help program. We are here for you too. Learn more about our We Can Help program now.
Please review our AHA CPR & Resuscitation Training Resources webpage for a full overview of CPR training options and tools, including premier cardiac education resources.
The AHA cannot fulfill its lifesaving mission without your dedication and tireless work to provide CPR training and perform high-quality CPR at a time when the need has never been greater. Thank you for everything you do to help save lives.
Sincerely,
American Heart Association CPR & ECC
