Complete an in-person skills session with a self-directed manikin and iPad where you will perform the skills you learned in the online session in order to receive your digital certificate. Make sure that you have completed ALL online components of ALL assigned courses (BLS, ALS, PALS) if you are attempting to receive in-person skills completion credit for multiple courses. If an online component has not been completed PRIOR to skills completion, you will not receive credit.
On the iPad, clear the cache by closing all apps (click 2x on the Home button then Swipe up on the Resuscitation Skills app). Once this has been completed, open the Resuscitation Skills app and follow the instructions.
Here’s an image from the iPad that you will see while doing your skills. Some people will see that they are doing well in the upper-left icon but still fail the overall score. That is due to not doing well on the other components of the skills that are used to calculate the overall score.
View the icon on the lower-left which is very important. That displays your compression depth and rate. You want the dots to appear in the middle green square:
- Above the top horizontal line – compressions are too shallow.
- Below the bottom horizontal line – compressions are too deep.
- Left of the first vertical line – compressions are too slow.
- Right of the far vertical line – compressions are too fast.
Most people do not compress deep enough or go fast enough. Yes, sing the Staying Alive song – it helps. Make sure that your hands are in the correct position (lower-right icon) and that you have a good seal on the mask for the ventilations (upper-right) and that you have the adult head tilted all the way back.
The compressions on the infant can be tricky. There’s a sweet spot. Make sure you are completing at the correct rate and depth. Also, make sure you are letting the chest fully recoil between compressions. If you do not, you will fail the skill and may receive a score that displays “–“. You will receive a message on the top of the review page “Try Again”.
Here are some tips on how to complete the infant ventilations when both the infant ventilation rate and volume scores were high, but the overall score was too low to pass:
- Ventilation delivery, or force, is also part of the scoring algorithm. Breaths that are too forceful will show as a red outline around the lung icon.
- Verify correct ventilation technique is being performed.
- Place the head in a neutral “sniffing” position. Use a shoulder roll to assist with proper placement.
- The Brayden manikin has an open nasal passage. Be sure to obtain a proper mask seal over both the mouth and nose.
- Deliver smooth, effortless ventilations that last about one second and make the chest begin to rise.
- If the breath is delivered too forcefully, a red outline will appear around the lungs.
Note: a “correct” audible tone may still be heard, even if the breath delivery was incorrect. The audible tone is for ventilation volume only.
Make sure that you review the results of your skills. You can click on each section to view where you were competent and also where you were deficient and what you need to correct.