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REdI Program Offers Three Methods to Attain Basic Life Support Skills

By Gerald Sonnenberg
EES Marketing and Communication 

ORLANDO, Fla. – Since 2010, the Simulation Learning, Education and Research Network’s (SimLEARN) Resuscitation Education Initiative (REdI) has been providing standardized, documented, tracked and monitored advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) and basic life support (BLS) training throughout the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). REdI provides clinical training and support using American Heart Association guidelines to educate and train VA medical center clinical and non-clinical staff.

REdI is also responsible for the oversight of resuscitation curricula, the evaluation of resuscitation training materials and the performance of needs assessments for equipment procurement. In accomplishing this part of the REdI mission, local facility program directors are offered three delivery methods for BLS training: the Resuscitation Quality Improvement (RQI) program, HeartCode Complete and traditional classroom, instructor-led training.

The RQI program is VHA’s preferred training modality which allows learners to complete online didactic training, followed by a hands-on skills session with a voice-assisted mannequin (VAM) to complete skills competencies on a quarterly basis. Training averages 10-15 minutes and is completed independent of an instructor. If a learner is compliant with quarterly training, their certification is extended so they never expire. The VA Talent Management System (TMS) item number is VHA-088.

HeartCode Complete is training where learners complete online didactic training followed by a hands-on skills session with a VAM. This training requires renewal every two years and takes an average of 90 to 120 minutes to complete. It is completed independent of an instructor. The TMS item number is 3871645.

Traditional classroom training is instructor-led, hands-on format where a certified REdI instructor teaches the didactic portion of the course, then validates the hands-on skills competency with a mannequin. The traditional classroom format averages 4.5 hours of in-person training. The TMS item number is 12858.

To support the preferred modality of RQI, REdI has purchased equipment and electronic training materials for all medical centers. Though not yet complete, our goal is to provide 1 VAM per 250 learners at each site.

For more information about training available through the REdI program, please contact the National Program Director Lisa Baker. More information is available at the SimLEARN website.