Landstuhl Simulation Center Puts CPR Skills to the Test During Healthcare Simulation Week
LANDSTUHL, Germany — Anyone who has ever watched a medical drama knows how effortless CPR can look on screen. But as dozens of military and civilian personnel recently discovered, real-life lifesaving is an entirely different story.
Landstuhl Regional Medical Center Simulation Center hosted a fast-paced Chest Compression Challenge Sept.17 outside the Hill Top Café as part of Healthcare Simulation Week.
Established in 2017 by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, Healthcare Simulation Week recognizes educators and clinicians who use simulation-based training to sharpen clinical skills, strengthen teamwork, and reduce medical errors before treating patients.
For Adrion Robin, LRMC’s medical simulation coordinator, the challenge was an opportunity to take high-stakes medical training out of the classroom and directly into the community.
The goal was to raise awareness, reinforce critical muscle memory, and assess CPR performance across the LRMC workforce.
“We had 23 service members and Department of War civilians participate in the challenge,” Robin said. “Participants had to push through two grueling minutes of continuous chest compressions.”
While two minutes may sound brief, the physical demands of performing CPR can build quickly. Maintaining proper technique while fatigued can be challenging, and that reality proved to be an eye-opener for many participants.
“Going into the challenge, I knew chest compressions were physically demanding,” said 1st Sgt. Keiden Jones, senior noncommission officer, assigned to Dental Health Activity Rheinland-Pfalz, LRMC. “Movies and training demonstrations never make CPR look easy, but I still did not expect two minutes of continuous compressions to be as difficult as it was.”
She stated that the challenge made her realize that she had never really tested what it was like to conduct continuous, sustained compressions for two full minutes because the majority of her training had concentrated on executing 30 compressions followed by two breaths.
" I now have a greater understanding of how physically taxing performing effective CPR is," Jones said. "It also reaffirmed that being aware of the procedures is not enough to be prepared; you also need to be able to carry them out efficiently under pressure and for a long time."
Real-time sensor data collected during the challenge showcased solid performance in some areas while identifying opportunities for improvement.
Participants recorded the following average scores:
- Chest Recoil: 85%
- Compression Rate: 81%
- Proper Compression Depth: 50%
Robin said the results showed that participants generally performed well in maintaining rhythm and allowing the chest to fully re-expand. Compression depth, however, proved to be the most difficult area as fatigue set in, reinforcing the importance of regular, hands-on practice.
“We had a fantastic turnout,” Robin said. “The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive.”
Following the enthusiastic response from participants across the hospital, organizers said LRMC staff can expect the simulation mannequins to return for another round of hands-on training soon.
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