2020 Changes to the Instructor Application & Authorization Process

Nancy Liebig, VP of Client Services, Technical Support

In 2017, HSI released the new HSI Instructor Development Course (IDC) and with that, each Instructor Trainer (IT) was required to complete the 2017 IDC Update Course to maintain active IT status and to be authorized to teach the new IDC. In the update course, it was announced that the prerequisite for candidates to take the HSI Instructor Development Course was to have All Ages CPR, AED, and Basic First Aid-content knowledge. This is typically accomplished by obtaining and presenting a certification card prior to attendance to the IDC.  

We are currently updating the instructor authorization application to align with those same minimum requirements. When released in the coming months, our updated process will require that potential new HSI instructors wishing to teach ASHI or MEDIC First Aid programs must have, at a minimum, an All Ages CPR, AED, and Basic First Aid background in order to apply.

Along with this update, we’re also revising the instructor authorization card. The new instructor card will reflect HSI as the authorizing entity and eventually give instructors the approval to teach any of the emergency care brands under the HSI umbrella – ASHI, MEDIC First Aid, and now EMS Safety Services. We will also revise the former “instructor levels” listed on our cards for those categories we no longer authorize.

These changes will be made through a multi-tiered release over the next few months. In addition, the Training Center Administrative Manual (TCAM) is currently being updated to include the addition of EMS Safety Services, as well as updates regarding the HSI instructor authorization process, Training Center approval, and the new authorization cards. We will also be incorporating electronic instructor attestation in the new online application wizard, which delivers the instructor portion of the application to the instructor for electronic acknowledgment in lieu of paper filing.

For many of our TC directors, this is going to be a relief as, in the end, it will simplify the management of Training Centers and instructors who use both ASHI and MEDIC First Aid programs. It also opens up the possibility to teach EMS Safety Services programs without necessitating a third Training Center or instructor authorization to maintain or manage.

Again, this is part of a multi-tiered release process with the instructor authorization process and TCAM being updated first. There is more work for us to do in order to bring together the portals, the stores, and many other items that have been kept separate for the nearly 12 years now since ASHI and MEDIC First Aid first came together under the HSI umbrella. If you have two Training Centers – one for ASHI, one for MEDIC First Aid – you will eventually be able to choose which one you primarily maintain. Also, some current instructors have adult-only authorizations levels rather than the required all-ages authorization. We will send out communications to the various groups impacted by these changes and providing specific direction. 

Making this change provides simpler management opportunities to keep our Training Centers focused on what they do best - training. It also consolidates the three emergency care brands into one larger entity that can help you maintain or win new training business in your area.

Watch the newsletter, Otis dashboard notices, and your email for more information about these changes. As always, feel free to call our knowledgeable Client Support staff at 800-447-3177.

Year-End Blog Round-Up

A big thank you to all our blog subscribers for your support and comments this year! It’s been a busy year on the ASHI and MEDIC First Aid blog, and we hope you have enjoyed the Good Samaritan stories, training business news, safety tips, and in-depth articles about all things emergency care.

We’ve been especially pleased to bring you additional voices on the blog and look forward to more from our guest bloggers in 2020.

Here are some of our favorite posts from 2019, in case you missed them:

• Do as I Do: Thoughts on Skills Presentations in CPR Training – On the importance and impact of skill mimicry in the early development of skills.
• Rescue Breaths: Are They Gone or Not? – Different from sudden cardiac arrest, an essential part of the treatment for secondary cardiac arrest is providing effective rescue breaths.
• Adhering to Program Approval Stipulations: Why It Matters – A review of the documentation requirements for first aid and CPR training to be accepted by the U.S. Coast Guard. 
• CPR and AED for Cardiac Arrest: Understanding Fact, Fiction, and Evolution – All things CPR and AED, with a bunch of fun links to explore.  
• History of First Aid Kits – The Unique and Unusual – A journey through time showcasing the evolution of first aid kits.

If you haven’t already subscribed to the blog, you can do so here.

Interested in submitting an article for the ASHI and MEDIC First Aid blog? Send your article emergencycare@hsi.com and we’ll give it a look! While we can't guarantee we'll use all the submissions, if yours is a good fit for our editorial calendar, you just might be our next guest blogger.

It's About Them: Student-Centered Learning

Bill Rowe, Director, Content Development

Okay I admit it. The initial reason I became involved in emergency care was pretty much Johnny and Roy. Of course, there was that cardboard and plastic grandfather clock, but that’s a story for another time.

I was young, away from home, and trying to figure out my life. So I took an EMT course. To not embarrass him too much, I’ll refer to my instructor as Z. As it turns out, Z was a pretty unique force in EMS provider training and bystander education in CPR and first aid. You may already recognize him and his noted accomplishments. I am grateful for knowing him for the past 40 years.

In regard to learning, Z instilled in me the critical importance of behavior change. That was his definition (and measure) of learning. If something hadn’t changed in the behavior of the learner, no matter how hard you tried to be an educator, learning did not happen. Period.

Another thing Z impressed upon me was that the decision to learn was up to a student, and we, as instructors, could only influence the chance it could occur. On top of that, each learner is unique and not always responsive to the same influences.

What does that mean in a practical sense?

I offer to you the importance of the learning environment… not just the room, but the toolbox of tools you bring to the training process. These include, but are not limited to, things such as:

• Visual media such as video, still images, and animation
• Reference guides
• Training equipment
• Adequate hands-on practices
• Demonstrations
• Scenario-based practices
• Interactive content exercises
• Motivational stories related to content
• Emphasis of key points
• Self-discovery
• Peer-guided practice
• Rationale of core concepts
• Personal learner connections to content
• Debriefing

What you may notice is that all of these things are focused on the learner and not the educator. This brings me to last pearl of wisdom I want to share from Z. It’s not about you. It’s about them.

Orchestrating a learning environment that is multifaceted and student-centered might be the most effective path to changing behavior… you know, learning.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of becoming the center of attention. It’s human nature to want to share with others the knowledge you have, especially if you have worked hard to develop it. It’s also easy to get burned out when you teach something over, and over, and over again.

How can you tell this is happening? Consider your own behavior during training. Instructor-centered actions to avoid include things such as:

• Lecturing
• Unrelated personal stories
• Being unprepared
• Cutting corners
• Assuming comprehension
• Stern task mastering

Identifying these tendencies in the way you teach could help you to become more focused on learning instead of instruction. Self-analysis is the first step, and a valuable tool, in self-improvement.

None of this is black and white. We all have a balance somewhere in the middle, between the effort to change student behavior and the need for being recognized as a knowledgeable and competent educator. Most of us just need some corrective tweaks every once in a while.

HSI can help.

All of our ASHI and MEDIC First Aid training programs include a toolbox full of learning tools to help promote learning. I encourage you to reread the front section of a program Instructor Guide to refresh yourself on what is available to you.

So as Z says, learning can be defined as a measurable change in behavior, it’s a student’s decision to learn or not, and it’s about them, not you. Collectively, by building a learning environment rich in student-centered things, you can create the most effective path to learning… for everyone.

Hope you found Z’s wisdom as helpful as I have. Thanks for being out there and doing what you do.

In Your Words: The Life-Affirming Work of Emergency Care Training

In our Customer Spotlight articles, we’ve enjoyed bringing you a front-row seat to the wide diversity that is the ASHI and MEDIC First Aid Training Center world. Across the country and around the world, TC directors and instructors have shared the lessons learned through their experiences in the emergency care training business.

No matter how varied that experience, there’s one thread that unites every survey response we’ve received: ASHI and MEDIC First Aid instructors are passionate about what they do.

That’s why we created the Stories area of our website. In April we asked, “What inspired you to become an emergency care instructor?” and provided a place for you to upload a quick video of your response.

Your answers have been powerful, moving, and….well, inspiring! Here’s just a taste of what you’ve told us:

“I love to teach and get out into the community, because even people who aren’t in healthcare need to know [CPR and first aid]. And they love to learn it. So let’s do it, let’s keep on saving those lives.”  Sharena Beard, CPR with Nurse Sharena

“I wanted to make a lifesaving difference. I’ve always loved helping people and I still do. And it’s not only saving a life, but also the impact we have on [that person’s] family members, friends, on their entire life, and all their experiences. The process of teaching is rewarding, but it is even more so when the method you are sharing can actually change lives. If you see your student act professionally, confidently, and they have the power to save lives, believe me, you will feel empowered.” Michelle Manaois, Arabic Canadian Medical Center

“I believe it’s the need to contribute, and we ALL need to contribute. I love teaching CPR and first aid to adults, but my favorite is teaching young people the Child and Babysitting Safety program because everyone benefits; the parents, the kids, and the babysitters. I want those young people to feel confident and proud of themselves.” Jean Lesmeister, Easy CPR

“When I was a firefighter, I realized that emergency care was our main job. Yeah, we fought fires, but emergency care was the main thing we did, so I wanted to be better at my job. [So I kept visiting our training facility and practicing.] After practicing on the manikins so much, the trainer suggested I become an instructor. 30 years later, I’m still doing it.” Bill Morrow, Seattle First Aid and CPR

“To help remove barriers for people who want to help. That could be someone in the middle of a city or people who want to explore the great outdoors but fear they don’t have the skills to manage an emergency if it happens.” Kasey McClurg, Eleven Mile State Park

“I teach about 1,000 officers a year and it’s been very rewarding to see the positive outcome of this, getting feedback from officers who have used the skills in the field.” James Beebe, Fresno Police Dept Regional TC

To all of you, thanks for making our world a safer place, and for making learning about emergency care such a positive experience in people’s lives. We’ll give the last words to the team at Head Start of Lane County, who said about their skills check sessions, “It’s the most fun hour you will have all year…especially if you sign up with us!”

We'll have new questions for you to answer on the Stories page in 2020! Watch your newsletters for announcements.

Would You Like to Be Our Next Customer Spotlight?

Share your wisdom with your TC peers by completing one of our 15-minute profile surveys.

If your TC provides training for individuals or organizations for a fee, click the "External TC" button. For those TCs that offer training for employees/members at no charge, choose "Internal TC."

Upcoming Tradeshows

Are you attending the Cardiac Arrest Survival Summit – the new ECCU – presented by the Citizen CPR Foundation, December 10-13, 2019 in Seattle, WA? ASHI, MEDIC First Aid, and EMS Safety will be there in booth #307 in the Exhibit Hall. Please stop by and say hello!

While you’re exploring the exhibits, be sure to check out “High-Performance CPR Concepts for Trained Lay Providers,” a poster presentation from Bill Rowe, Director, Content Development. Bill will be available at the poster display during the morning and afternoon session breaks, as well as during the opening reception and Wednesday morning exhibitor breakfast, to answer your questions about HP-CPR.

To register for the world’s largest gathering in the field of SCA survival and care, go to citizencpr.org/summit and reserve your spot today.

We’ll see you there.

How to Reach Us

Phone: 1-800-447-3177

Email: emergencycare@hsi.com

Website contact page: https://emergencycare.hsi.com/contact-us

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASHIandMedicFirstAid/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashimedic (@ashimedic)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/american-safety-&-health-institute/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashiandmedicfirstaid/

Note to those on social media: If you’re already following HSI, be sure to add the ASHI and MEDIC First Aid pages as well! Remember to tag your posts with #ASHICPR and #MFACPR.