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Training medical students as basic life support instructors: a demonstrative method pilot study
Pedro Fernández Florido1,2, Francisco Manuel Parrilla Ruiz2,3, Teresa Rodríguez Fernández de Simón2,3
1Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, Seville, Spain.
Frontiers in Medicine
|November 7, 2025
Summary
Medical students can effectively learn to teach basic life support skills. This training equips them to train the general population in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, improving patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Public Health Training
- Emergency Medicine Pedagogy
Background:
- Early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by laypeople significantly impacts patient survival.
- University students are a key demographic for imparting essential life support knowledge.
- Healthcare education must extend beyond medical professionals to the general public.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess medical students' competency in teaching basic life support (BLS) methodology.
- To evaluate the impact of BLS instructor training on medical students.
- To determine the readiness of medical students to train the public in life support.
Main Methods:
- Prospective observational study design.
- Training medical students in teaching methodology for BLS.
- Utilizing the demonstrative method across four training sessions.
- Assessing student performance in applying teaching techniques.
Main Results:
- 89 students participated, in their third to fifth year of study.
- Over 89% of students successfully completed the demonstrative method phases.
- Acquisition of teaching skills was demonstrated by the majority of participants.
Conclusions:
- Medical students can acquire essential teaching skills for BLS instruction.
- Training effectiveness is independent of the student's year of study, provided theoretical grounding.
- Results support wider implementation of such training in medical centers nationwide.
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