From training to education: Understanding and responding to the resuscitation education issues with ideas and theory

Alongside medical science, educational efficiency and local implementation have been identified as the three leading themes that influence cardiac arrest survival outcomes. Where the medical science domain continues to inform the contemporary evidence for the optimal practice, the remaining two education themes continue to face criticism linked to the poor sustainability of clinician resuscitation skills, with a rapid decay in abilities often evident soon after training and certification. The European Resuscitation Council recently reasserted the importance of programmes to reflect educational best practices and learning theory.

This paper discusses a selection of key contemporary theoretical themes, which directly relate to several specific ongoing education concerns.

Beyond questioning the effectiveness of current conventions to achieve sustainable knowledge and skills for the long term, it is suggested that common approaches may not be sufficient to prepare clinicians or certify competency for the complexities of these future events and that a major pedagogical shift may be required to teaching and assessment.