Overview
Immediate Life Support was developed by Resuscitation Council UK for healthcare professionals who may have to act as the first responder in an emergency, giving them the skills to manage patients in cardiac arrest before a cardiac arrest team arrives.
During the one-day course, learners develop skills in recognising and treating the deteriorating patient, identifying causes and promoting the prevention of cardiopulmonary arrest, delivering high-quality CPR and defibrillation, and working effectively as both a team member and leader.
Audience
The ILS course is suitable for doctors, medical students, nurses, nursing students, midwives, paramedics and student paramedics, physiotherapists, dentistry professionals, and other health and care professionals. It may also be suitable for fire service technicians, police personnel and prison officers.
Learning objectives
- Recognise and treat the deteriorating patient using the ABCDE approach.
- Identify the causes and promote the prevention of cardiopulmonary arrest.
- Undertake high-quality CPR, safe defibrillation using manual and/or AED devices, and simple airway manoeuvres.
- Use non-technical skills to support effective team membership and team leadership in emergency situations.
Assessment
- Assessment is continuous throughout the course and guided by the assessment forms provided for each core skill.
- The course includes lectures, skill stations and cardiac arrest simulations (CASTeach).
- Some centres may send a multiple-choice question paper before the course to support learning.
- Successful candidates receive an ILS provider certificate valid for 1 year.
