Training Memo: BLS for Healthcare Providers and Heartsaver elearning Courses Skills Practice and Skills Testing Requirements

Transcription

1 Training Memo: BLS for Healthcare Providers and Heartsaver elearning Courses Skills and Skills Testing Requirements National Center 7272 Greenville Avenue Dallas, Texas Tel 888-CPR-LINE To: American Heart Association Training Network Revision Date: June 1, 2011 Original Release Date: May 27, 2008 Purpose This memo provides direction to all American Heart Association (AHA) Instructors and Heartsaver Skills Evaluators who conduct the mandatory skills practice and skills testing for elearning programs. The purpose is to document the guidelines and processes recommended by Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) Programs for skills practice and skills testing for AHA BLS for Healthcare Providers (BLS HCP) and Heartsaver elearning courses. This information replaces any previously released ECC Training Memos on this subject. Definition AHA elearning courses are those that include a cognitive, self-directed portion that can be completed online or through another computer-based or electronic medium. This includes all AHA online courses available through OnlineAHA.org and the HeartCode system. General All AHA elearning courses that include any psychomotor component must contain 3 distinct, mandatory components: Part 1 Cognitive portion Part 2 Hands-on skills practice Part 3 Hands-on skills testing June 1,

2 Validating Certificates After successfully completing Part 1 of an elearning program, students will receive a completion certificate. The current version of the certificate has an anatomical heart watermark as the background. To validate completion certificates, click the Skills Sessions link and then the Verify a Certificate link on the OnlineAHA.org home page. The certificate codes from HeartCode BLS can be verified at Written Exam BLS HCP Online Part 1 requires successful completion of a written exam and the exam is taken online as part of the completion process for Part 1. Students will not receive their online completion certificate for Part 1 if they do not successfully complete the written exam. Therefore, it is not necessary to give the written exam to individuals who present their Part 1 completion certificate when they arrive to complete Parts 2 and 3. Students who are unable to successfully complete the written exam online will be prompted to print the main screen of the online course, which shows that they have completed the cognitive portion but have failed the exam twice. Instructors should provide remediation for these students and allow them to take a written exam before skills testing. Remember that exams are available from your Training Center Coordinator. Students who take Heartcode BLS Part1 do not have a maximum number of attempts to complete the written examination. Suggested Time Requirements When scheduling BLS HCP and Heartsaver students for a hands-on skills practice and testing session, instructors and Skills Evaluators should allow for the following suggested minimum times: 45 minutes per student for BLS HCP, Heartsaver CPR AED (all modules), and Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED courses 30 minutes per student for Heartsaver CPR AED 45 minutes per student for Heartsaver CPR AED and Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED. Part 1: Cognitive Portion The cognitive portion of elearning courses can be completed online or through another computer-based or electronic medium. After successful completion of the cognitive portion of the program, students will receive a Part 1 completion certificate to be presented to the instructor before proceeding with Parts 2 and 3. June 1,

3 Part 2: Hands-On Skills The hands-on skills practice can be accomplished through one of the following methods: with an AHA Instructor using the appropriate course video Video-facilitated practice session with HeartCode BLS voice-assisted manikins (VAMs) Conducting the Hands-On Skills Session For better outcomes, the skills practice session should be conducted immediately before the skills test. Instructors and Skills Evaluators should provide the appropriate student practice sheets and review them with students at the start of the hands-on practice session. For testing students Heartsaver skills, instructors and Skills Evaluators should use the Heartsaver CPR AED Skills Sheet or the Heartsaver First Aid Skills Sheet. These skills sheets can be found on the Heartsaver Instructor CD included with the Heartsaver Instructor Manual or on the Instructor Network. For testing students on BLS HCP skills, instructors should use the BLS Skills Testing Sheets. These sheets can be found on the BLS for Healthcare Providers Instructor CD or on the Instructor Network. Hands-Only CPR information can be accessed at handsonlycpr.org or on the AHA Instructor Network ( Instructor/Skills Evaluator Led Sessions Instructors and Skills Evaluators should Provide students with a practice area and the same equipment that will be used for the skills test Allow adequate time for students to practice skills Show the appropriate skills video and provide coaching and instruction as needed after the student has performed the practice-while-watching section(s) of the appropriate skills video Video- Facilitated Session Instructors and Skills Evaluators should provide students with a practice area, the same equipment that will be used for the skills test, and appropriate audiovisual equipment to view the video. Students should be provided with necessary instructions regarding the use of the audiovisual equipment. Students should replay the video and practice until they are comfortable performing the skills. If AED skills are being practiced and tested, students should receive all the necessary instructions for using the AED trainer before the skills testing occurs. June 1,

4 Videos to Use for Instructor/Skills Evaluator Led and Video- Facilitated Sessions Heartsaver Courses: From any Heartsaver CPR AED DVD, select Skills Menu from the main menu and then select Adult CPR AED: Compressions Adult CPR AED: Give Breaths Adult CPR AED: Use a Mask Adult CPR AED: Compressions and Give Breaths (With a Mask) Adult CPR AED: Put It All Together Child CPR AED: Put It All Together Infant CPR: Compressions Infant CPR: Give Breaths Infant CPR: Put It All Together Infant CPR: Give Breaths With a Mask BLS HCP: From the main menu, select Chapter Listing and then select 1-Rescuer Adult BLS Giving Breaths 2-Rescuer Adult BLS Infant BLS HeartCode VAM Skills Opportunities to practice skills are included when using the VAM. A VAM administrator or facilitator may be necessary to instruct the student in the use of the system and to troubleshoot any problems that might arise with the system. Part 3: Hands-On Skills Testing The hands-on skills testing can be accomplished through 1 of the following methods: Testing with an AHA Instructor (Heartsaver or BLS, based on the course) Testing with a Skills Evaluator (Heartsaver only) Testing with a VAM To receive a course completion card, the student must complete all skills on the course-appropriate skills testing checklist for each of the elearning modules the student completed. For students who have completed the HeartCode BLS course, AED testing during the skills testing session is not required because AED use and pad placement and safety are tested in the microsimulation patient scenarios in HeartCode BLS Part 1. However, students may use the AED trainer in the skills practice session. Conducting Instructor-Led Hand-On Skills Testing Skills testing should be performed by using the skills testing sheets appropriate for the course. These are available from the course Instructor Manual or from the Instructor Network. Please note that there is a separate skills testing sheet for Heartcode BLS. This skills sheet is shorter to reflect that students who have completed June 1,

5 Heartcode BLS Part 1 have already been testing on the BLS sequence and AED use. Skills testing should be done with no coaching from the instructor or Skills Evaluator. Participants must successfully complete all the skills in the testing sheet. If the student is unsuccessful, remediation should be offered. Conducting VAM Hands-On Skills Testing Skills testing will be conducted by using the HeartCode BLS VAM system. This system is only available for the HeartCode BLS system. Students can decide when they have had adequate practice time with the computerized manikin and then select the testing option. After a 2-minute cycle of CPR, the computer system will provide the student with the score. Once a passing score is achieved, the student will receive a certificate of course completion. Course completion cards will be issued through the HeartCode system or Training Center, depending on the Training Center s contractual agreement. Remediation Students should come into their skills testing session prepared to perform skills. If a student is unsuccessful in the skills test, the instructor should advise the student of the need for additional hands-on practice. Students should be provided with the appropriate student practice sheet indicating where they were unsuccessful and need more practice. If time allows, the instructor or Skills Evaluator should provide the student with additional hands-on practice time and retest the student the same day. However, this is up to the discretion of the instructor. Instructors or Skills Evaluators can request that students who do not successfully complete the skills test schedule another skills test at a different date and time. Students should also be offered the opportunity to take a traditional classroom-based course if they are uncomfortable with continuing their elearning training. Records Training Centers should maintain records for individuals completing an elearning program according to the guidelines in the Program Administration Manual (PAM). Multiple skills testing sessions can be recorded on one roster. Record the date when each session was held next to the student s name. Summary This process is designed to ensure high-quality skills performance for elearning students. All instructors and Skills Evaluators conducting skills practice and testing sessions for students who have completed an elearning program should follow the June 1,

6 processes outlined in this memo to ensure consistency in practice and testing. June 1,