Pre-Hospital Advanced Life Support Resuscitation Training: A Pilot of An Evidence-Based Curriculum

Introduction There is a broad evidence base to support advanced life support (ALS) education for healthcare professionals being structured, realistic and inclusive of a range of human factors. This paper outlines the results of a pilot ALS resuscitation course tailored for providers working in pre-hospital resource-limited settings. The focus on the pre-hospital ALS environment, team mix, techniques, skills and equipment are important because actions taken by pre-hospital healthcare professionals have a critical impact on the likelihood of patient survival. Methods A pre-hospital ALS course was piloted following research into the need for a course and development of a pre-hospital-specific curriculum, based on Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC) guidelines. There were 13 pilot courses run, involving 66 participants. Participants all worked in the pre-hospital environment and held qualifications ranging from a Certificate IV in Healthcare through to postgraduate paramedicine qualifications. The pre-hospital ALS course consisted of theory and practical elements, pre-reading and a pre- and post-course quiz. Feedback was sought from course participants and an expert panel was consulted on the findings. Results Participants and the Expert Panel indicated that a pre-hospital ALS course should follow current recommendations of the ARC and be delivered to persons with sufficient underpinning knowledge of ALS resuscitation. The course should include pre-reading on ALS protocols and a pre-test followed by one day of face-to-face teaching using equipment reflective of the pre-hospital environment. Scenarios should be relevant to the pre-hospital setting and involve varying numbers of responders. Participants should be assessed on a continual basis during the course. Conclusion To improve participant confidence in the delivery of ALS and maximise the likelihood of patient survival, pre-hospital ALS resuscitation education for pre-hospital providers should follow ARC guidelines, include pre-course reading and practical simulation that reflects participants’ day-to-day employment.