On October 26, 2024, Erin Mender, RN, was a practicing nurse at Corewell Health South in St. Joseph, Mich.  As she and her fiancé attended a University of Alabama football game, her medical skills were put to the test.

Mender had recently completed the skills and cognitive sessions of the Resuscitation Quality Improvement^® (RQI^®) program, digital resuscitation training co-developed by the American Heart Association^® (AHA) and Laerdal Medical. The RQI program was developed to help clinicians achieve, master and sustain high-quality resuscitation skills —the cornerstone of cardiac arrest survival.

Mender Instinctively Relied on RQI Training

Of course, none of that was on Mender’s mind on that sunny autumn day in the University of Alabama stadium. But that changed in an instant, just before kickoff. A woman seated next to Erin directed her attention to a medical emergency.

A man in the stadium had fainted and hit his head. Mender rushed to provide medical assistance and keep him calm until EMTs arrived. Then, shortly after the EMTs were transporting the injured man to the hospital, she was alerted of another medical event. One of the EMTs, who treated the man who fainted, suffered a cardiac arrest.

Mender Performed High-quality CPR to Save a Life

After assessing the situation, checking his pulse and starting compressions, Mender immediately acknowledged the need for an automated external defibrillator (AED). Unfortunately, the closest AED was with the paramedics who just departed with the first patient.

Using her training, Mender continued compressions until a second crew of paramedics arrived with an AED. Because of Mender’s intervention, the man regained consciousness just as the EMTs began to administer the AED-advised shock.

Corewell Health South Embraces RQI for Its Hospitals and Clinics

Corewell Health South is one of three regions comprising Corewell Health, the largest health system in Michigan. In fall 2023, Corewell Health South launched BLS training for nearly 2,000 learners at three hospitals and 40 clinics.

Kim Wasserman is the AHA training center coordinator and RQI program administrator for Corewell Health South and played an integral role in the decision to adopt the program. As a longtime AHA training center coordinator, Wasserman has a strong affinity for programs and education rooted in evidence-based science.

Benefits of the RQI Partners Resuscitation Training Programs

In addition to elevating patient care — the organization’s highest priority — Wasserman acknowledges additional benefits since adopting the RQI program:

• Better work-life balance
• Higher satisfaction among nurses and physicians and throughout multiple departments, including physical and occupational therapy, radiology, rehabilitation, patient transport and urology.
• Increased confidence
• Verified CPR competence and heightened lifesaving skills