Initial Emergency Care Instructor Newsletter To Debut Soon

The outcome of medical emergencies is often determined not by prehospital personnel, but rather by coworkers, family members or other “bystanders” who are usually the first ones to detect and react to a medical emergency at home, at work or elsewhere in the community. The growing interest in public access defibrillation supports this reality. Unfortunately, reported incidences of CPR, AED use and/or other life sustaining actions by bystanders prior to the arrival of EMS is appallingly low. It is only with proper preparation that the public is likely to have the courage required to “take an AED off the wall and use it,” as well as perform other essential lifesaving actions.

Professional initial emergency care instructors play an essential role in the development and delivery of effective on-scene initial emergency care. The vast majority of the estimated 200,000 initial emergency care and life support instructors are EMS professionals working as either entrepreneurs or within the structure of their EMS organization.

But effective CPR/AED instructors are not born great teachers; they must be developed, sustained and supported. Ongoing continuing education and “mentoring” are essential for a good instructor to be most successful.

To aid in this vital effort, a new publication aimed at assisting in the ongoing education and professional development of first aid, CPR and/or AED instructors will soon be developed in cooperation with the AED Instructor Foundation and EMS Magazine. Watch this space for more information regarding the First Care Instructor Newsletter.