Basic Life Support and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training for Pharmacy Students and the Community by a Pharmacy Student Committee

Objective. To create a self-sufficient, innovative method for providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) education within a college of pharmacy using a student-driven committee, and disseminating CPR education into the community through a service learning experience. Design. A CPR committee comprised of doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students at the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy provided CPR certification to all pharmacy students. The committee developed a service learning project by providing CPR training courses in the community. Participants in the course were required to complete an evaluation form at the conclusion of each training course. Assessment. The CPR committee successfully certified more than 1,950 PharmD students and 240 community members from 1996 to 2009. Evaluations completed by participants were favorable, with 99% of all respondents (n = 351) rating the training course as either "excellent'' or "good'' in each of the categories evaluated. Conclusion. A PharmD student-directed committee successfully provided CPR training to other students and community members as a service learning experience.